Liberty Global lowered its growth target for Europe this year as billionaire John Malone’s cable carrier reported a weaker-than-expected start in the UK.

Huawei intends to invest in and expand its cloud computing services with a new division that will employ more than 2,000 people.

Pádraig Hoare sets the scene for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. 

Pope Francis, who earlier this year was reported - falsely - to have endorsed Donald Trump for US president, has warned about the dangers of fake news.

Vodafone Group could benefit from a merger with Liberty Global, according to a report in Barron’s, which added the British telecommunications company’s shares could also be poised for a 33% rise.

Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges often says Europe needs fewer, bigger telecommunications carriers that can invest in faster networks and better compete with Google and Facebook. Deutsche Telekom has a 12% stake in BT.

With a $120bn merger with Liberty Global off the table, Vodafone boss Vittorio Colao needs his strategy of higher network investments and acquisitions of European cable companies to start paying off, quickly.

Vodafone reported an acceleration in its main quarterly sales growth yesterday as a cable television acquisition in its biggest market, Germany, helped to lift sales and consolidate an overall return to growth for the British firm.

Apple and Samsung are working with the GSMA to kill off the traditional SIM card.

Europe’s two biggest telecom operators have called on regulators to be flexible and pragmatic in finalising rules to protect the openness of the internet, to allow them to give priority to certain kinds of data traffic on their networks.

BT has agreed to buy Britain’s largest mobile operator EE in a cash and shares deal worth £12.5bn.

The board of BT was meeting yesterday to discuss the possible acquisition of British mobile operators O2 or EE, a person familiar with the situation said.

Britain’s BT Group is in early stage talks with Spain’s Telefonica on a deal to buy UK mobile operator O2, with two sources saying it has also begun negotiations with EE as it seeks a return to the British consumer mobile market.

Telecoms giant BT is in “highly preliminary” talks about buying mobile phone network O2.

The European Union is teaming up with South Korea jointly to research the next generation of mobile broadband technology, hoping the Asian country’s expertise will help it catch up in a field crucial for economic growth and jobs.

Irish people may soon be able to make calls from anywhere in the EU for the same cost as a call in Ireland.

Vodafone Ireland gained 400 customers a day in the last quarter, according to the company’s interim management statement, despite the group describing Europe as difficult.

Vodafone has agreed to buy Germany’s largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland for €7.7bn, adding TV and fixed-line services to help defend against rising competition.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone was today poised to buy Germany's biggest cable operator in a deal worth €10.7bn.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone signalled a move into fixed-line TV and phone services as it confirmed it had approached Germany’s biggest cable company about a possible takeover reportedly worth €10bn.

Deutsche Telekom has given its US operations more autonomy, positioning its business to compete better with bigger and smaller rivals, chief executive Rene Obermann told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Deutsche Telekom saw net profit recover to €793m in the fourth quarter as the telecoms group declared it was “on the offensive” with new investments in higher-speed networks.

Superfast mobile broadband is to be launched in the UK later this year after T-Mobile and Orange got the green light to run 4G services.

IF the world’s biggest spirits company Diageo wants to be a leading player in American whiskey, the experience of another major company attempting a US merger won’t give it much cause for cheer.

The worst week for the US stock market in two months ended with a whimper in thin trading today.

EUROPE’S “most dangerous woman” is expected in Cork next month to advise businesses on how to do better.

THE ISEQ started the new week with a gain of 36.96 points to 2,823.94 yesterday.

The FTSE 100 Index surged ahead for the third session in a row today as a multi-billion dollar telecoms deal offset concerns over military strikes in Libya and the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.

World markets took another step in their recovery today after a multi-billion dollar deal in the telecoms sector boosted confidence.

Everything Everywhere - the company behind merged mobile phone brands Orange and T-Mobile - has returned to growth in the third quarter, albeit by the slimmest of margins.

Britain's largest mobile phone operator is to be created this week as the proposed merger of Orange and T-Mobile is expected to win approval from European regulators, it was reported today.

Mobile phone giants Orange and T-Mobile today revealed plans to join forces in a tie-up which will create a new market leader in the UK.

Orange and T-Mobile owner Deutsche Telekom have agreed to merge their UK businesses to create a mobile phone giant with around 28.4 million customers, it was announced today.

Mobile phone operators Vodafone and O2 are understood to be locked in a £3.5bn (€4bn) bid battle for rival T-Mobile UK, it was reported today.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone today said it lost 46,000 Irish mobile customers in the three months to the end of June.

A potential bidding war for mobile phone operator T-Mobile was in prospect today after reports said O2 owner Telefonica was eyeing the business.

Vodafone is considering a bid to buy T-Mobile UK in a deal that would create Britain’s biggest mobile phone operator, it was reported today.

THE Irish stock exchange clawed back some of its losses this year with a 3.75% rise yesterday as markets across Europe reacted positively to the US Federal Reserve’s shock cut in interest rates.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone will unveil a slight increase in annual underlying earnings to £12bn (€17.7bn) today, despite tough times for the firm in UK and European markets.

UK mobile phone operator T-Mobile today posted rising revenues as more customers signed up to its contract services.

Investors stayed on the sidelines today ahead of tomorrow’s decision on interest rates in the United States.

London markets edged into positive territory today, boosted by gains at Prudential and a late rally on Wall Street on Friday.