Vodafone eye on T-Mobile

MOBILE phone operator Vodafone is considering a buyout of competitor T-Mobile UK in a move that would create the UK's largest mobile operator.

Vodafone is said to be examining the merits of either making an offer for T-Mobile or setting up a joint venture.

T-Mobile, which has an estimated enterprise value of between £2.5 billion and £3.4bn, is owned by Deutsche Telekom, which has appointed JPMorgan to advise on strategic options for the business.

A combined company would have a 40 per cent share of user revenue in the British mobile phone market, but could be blocked by regulators.

The UK's largest mobile operator is O2, which has a market share of about 27 per cent.