Vodafone goes for the simple approach

Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, is to simplify its structure following a drive to overhaul its portfolio after investor complaints.

The company had said in July it would reconsider its strategy and look to "maximise shareholder value", with analysts expecting it to seek to sell certain minority-owned assets.

Vodafone, which this week sold its 3.2 per cent stake in China Mobile for $6.5 billion (4.2bn), said yesterday that it would cut its operating regions to two from three and hold its main minority stakes in other operators outside the regional structure.

Its stakes in US operator Verizon Wireless, France's SFR, Polkomtel in Poland and India's Bharti would now be held separately, it said, but added that this did not mean it had decided what to do with these assets.