The two companies have been in talks over a possible exchange of selected assets since June 2015. The £120 billion merger would have created one of the largest telecoms deals to date.
“On 5 June 2015, Vodafone confirmed that it was in the early stages of discussions with Liberty Global regarding a possible exchange of selected assets between the two companies. Vodafone announces that discussions with Liberty Global have terminated,” said the company.
Liberty Global – owner of Virgin Media in the UK – has sought to combine its network with Vodafone to provide broadband, mobile and TV services. In an interview with Bloomberg this month, Liberty Global’s chairman John Malone said both companies have struggled to find common ground for a deal that’s mutually successful. “That doesn’t mean that we won’t find a solution, nor does it imply that we will,” Malone added.
In March 2014, Vodafone acquired Spanish cable operator Ono for €7.2 billion in a bid to expand its European operations.
