Vodafone and Liberty tie-up abandoned

Talks between Vodafone and Liberty Global about exchanging assets to better compete in Europe’s converging mobile, broadband, and TV markets collapsed yesterday because they could not agree on the value of their businesses.

Vodafone, the second biggest mobile operator in the world, said in June it was considering swapping some assets with Europe’s biggest cable company.

Such a move would have enabled the groups to sell packages of mobile, fixed-line, broadband, and television increasingly offered by rivals.