VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will thoroughly investigate the merger between Vodafone and CK Hutchison's Three unless the two mobile carriers address the regulator's concerns.

Vodafone Idea Limited witnessed a significant surge in share value, with prices rising 9% to Rs 17.60 ($0.21), while announcing plans for fundraising to address high debt levels and facilitate 5G network upgrades.

The UK's competition regulatory said it will investigate Vodafone's proposed merger with Three.

Vodafone Group is confident that as soon as 5G wave hits the world in 2020, Australia will be among the first few countries to adopt this new-age technology. The mobile operator's priority goals include customer satisfaction and customized plans, along with 5G launch. A 5G-friendly Australia will be seen as a super-speedy service that should eliminate all video buffering and enable super-fast downloads.

Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless company in the U.S. said on Friday that it is doing away the practice of subsidizing new phones in exchange of a two-year service contract.

Vodafone, the world's second-biggest mobile telecoms company, said on Friday it was in talks with Europe's largest cable operator, Liberty Global, about an exchange of "selected assets" but was not discussing a full-blown merger.

Some of the biggest investors in Vodafone say they are open to a European tie-up with Liberty Global, as the British company is now in a stronger position to negotiate a deal with John Malone's cable group.

Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) is nearing wrapping up deals to sell more than $10 billion in assets, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Vodafone Qatar VQFS.QA has scrapped its bid to buy state-owned wholesale Internet provider Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN), the country's No.2 mobile operator by subscribers said on Sunday.

Investment in the fast-growing market for Internet-connected devices gathered pace this year and is set to attract more top U.S. technology and telecoms buyers of firms active in the market, a report from a merger advisory firm said on Thursday.

Telecom operator Swisscom (SCMN.VX) is considering a possible sale of its Italian broadband firm Fastweb, which is worth up to 5 billion euros ($6.3 billion) and has been a target for Vodafone (VOD.L), sources familiar with the situation said.

Kuddle, a Norwegian picture sharing app designed for children, plans to launch a child safe tablet with Microsoft on Dec 1, and expects to sign funding deals with several venture capital firms within weeks, its chief executive said on Monday.

GlaxoSmithKline may have closed one chapter in a saga of corruption allegations by accepting a $489 million fine in China, but the drugmaker has its work cut out to win back skeptical investors.

Orange has offered buy Spanish telecoms operator Jazztel for around 3.4 billion euros (4.40 billion US dollar), a deal that could help the French company jump ahead of rival Vodafone in the country's mobile market.

AT&T Inc said it will no longer have any plans to make an offer for Vodafone Group Plc, preventing it from making a takeover bid in the next six months, Bloomberg reported.