Vodafone may bid for rival UK operator T-Mobile

• Source: Xinhua/agencies
• [14:36 June 29 2009]
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The world's largest mobile company, Vodafone is believed to be interested in buying up rival operator T-Mobile UK in what many believe to be an audacious move that may create huge repercussions within the mobile industry.

Vodafone has so far made no comment on the bid which may run into problems with UK regulators which oversee the mobile industry.

T-Mobile, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom and valued at between 2.5 and 3.4 billion pound (4.12 and 5.6 billion US dollars), holds only 15 percent of the UK mobile market compared to Vodafone's 25 percent.

In Britain there is fierce competition between five mobile operators. O2, owned by Spain's Telefónica, has a market share of around 27 percent with France Telecom's Orange maintaining a 22 percent share. Mobile operator 3, owned by Hutchison Whampoa, is the smallest with an 8 percent share.

Deutche Telekom have so far refused to comment on any possible takeover.