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Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MrGreenJeans who wrote (2993)	10/9/2000 1:07:06 PM
From: MrGreenJeans	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3175

Vodafone's Mobile Expansion Set to go Gaelic 9/10/2000 16:21 by Tanya Jefferies Internet Reporter Vodafone (VOD:LSE) [Discuss] is rumoured to be negotiating the acquisition of mobile phone operator Eircell, which boasts more than 60% of the Irish wireless market. Eircom (EIR:LSE) [Discuss], the owner of Eircell, admitted earlier today that it was in preliminary discussions to sell part or all of its mobile subsidiary. However, the company refused to admit who the prospective buyer was. Eircell has an estimated 1.05 million subscribers and is one of only two operators in Ireland's mobile phone market, the other being Esat Digifone. Meteor, which also holds a licence, has not yet entered the market. One analyst, who did not wish to be named, said Vodafone was likely to expand its mobile phone operations into new territory using the money it makes from the pending sale of Italian fixed-line business Infostrada. He said that Vodafone had the European market wrapped up, apart from half a dozen smaller countries, including Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland. "Clearly if the right opportunity comes along in any of those countries Vodafone would consider it. Ireland is particularly attractive because of the strong growth in the economy, and the fact it is a three-player market," he said. "Vodafone also has a network in Northern Ireland already. There are all sorts of intrinsic attractions." The UK's largest mobile operator has also widely thought to have struck a deal to offload Infostrada to Italian power company Enel. Enel, which jointly owns Franco-Italian telecoms venture Wind with France Telecom, is thought to be acting alone in the yet to be confirmed purchase. Vodafone, which refused to comment on either of the potential deals, sees its shares drop 9p to 244p in afternoon trading.