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back to article Vodafone coughs up £6.5bn for Kabel Deutschland

Vodafone has snapped up Germany’s largest cable operator, creating a brand capable of offering Germans bundles of broadband, TV, and both fixed-line and mobile telephony - and preventing competitor Liberty Global from doing the same. Liberty, flush from acquiring Virgin Media, had been seen sniffing around Kabel Deutschland …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They seem to be spending an awful lot of money recently, what with this and cable and wireless. And yet they don't seem to be making any profit in the UK. as if they were then the tax man would be happy with the level of corporation tax received.

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    1. Velv
      Reply Icon
      IT Angle

      So to point out the blindingly obvious flaw in your bitching about not paying tax.

      It's precisely because they have been buying some big stuff that profit has not been made in the UK. Profit is the excess of money from sales after expenses. £6.5bn is a pretty big expense to expand your business base. C&W, 3G and 4G are all big expenses.

      The current international tax situation is flawed and needs addressed, but until the law is changed companies will continue to play within the rules to their own best advantage. Don't shoot the messenger.

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      1. Dr_N
        Reply Icon
        Thumb Down

        "It's precisely because they have been buying some big stuff that profit has not been made in the UK. Profit is the excess of money from sales after expenses. "

        No it's not.

        You have failed to grasp how Vodafone avoid tax.

        Do you work for HMRC by any chance....?

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  2. TeamEvil

    They'll probably feel the need for some cash and sell their stake in Verizon below what the market is expecting.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      And give up the lucrative dividend?

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  3. lglethal Silver badge
    Go

    Hmmm...

    I've had Kabel Deutschland internet once since living in Germany and it was superb, much faster then normal connections and absolutely no dropouts (except when the modem froze, but thats another story).

    However, since movingout of that particular apartment, I havent had it again. The reason - the cost to install it to your building. I was particularly shocked to find out that it would cost €3800 to have it installed to my building (a terrace house) when both of the buildings on either side already had it installed. Thanks but no thanks...

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    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Hmmm...

      Good report in the most recent c't about how the market is being carved up. Got Unitymedia here with fibre to the kerb 50 Mb/s downlink 4 Mb/s uplink with telephone, telly and mobile for € 35 a month. Even with the € 17 compulsory connection fee it's still more competitive than the DSL offerings.

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  4. Buzzword

    Quads aren't for everyone

    "The assumption was that the public would want combined billing from one communications supplier"

    In a world where one family = one house, maybe. But London is home to some two million flat-sharers. Nobody wants to split the phone bill with the Brazilian guy who spends all night on the phone to his girlfriend back in Rio.

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    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Quads aren't for everyone

      Nobody wants to split the phone bill with the Brazilian guy who spends all night on the phone to his girlfriend back in Rio.

      Why not? With the right package it shouldn't make any difference. It's pretty much all VoIP now anyway so if your provider starts taking the piss, just provide and OTT solution and set the router up correctly.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can't be happening...

    There is no kabel.

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  6. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Possible bidding war

    I think LibertyMedia is also considering buying at least a slice of Kabel and as they are less geared this could have legs.

    4-play is largely irrelevant in the UK due to the dismal level of investment infrastructure and the subsequent dependence upon on BT's wires and a captive regulator.

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  7. Christian Berger

    Can't get worse

    They don't even have BBCone on cable!

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