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Verizon CEO sees no case for merger with Vodafone

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CIOL Bureau
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NEW YORK, USA: The head of Verizon Communications does not see a case to pursue a merger with Vodafone Group Plc, its wireless joint venture partner.

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Chief Executive Ivan Seidenberg was responding to a question about recent speculation that the two companies could merge. Verizon owns 55 percent of Verizon Wireless and Vodafone owns the remaining 45 per cent.

"Absent new information, a merger doesn't seem to have a lot of appeal," Seidenberg told reporters after a speaking event at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

The executive told the audience at the event that "this notion of a global wireless only carrier is no longer the preferred model" because of difficulties reaching economies of scale. Vodafone is a wireless-only operator while Verizon has both wired and wireless networks.

Seidenberg also said that Verizon would be open to carryingApple Inc's iPhone on its network and in particular the executive said he would hope to be able to sell an iPhone that supports a high-speed fourth generation network the company is building.

"It's their call," he said. "Eventually it's our view we'll get to carrying Apple."

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