Vodafone Group Plc
Company History
Vodafone History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1984 in Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom
When was Vodafone founded?
Vodafone was founded in 1984 in Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom by Sir Ernest Harrison and Gerry Whent, making it 42 years old.
- Founded
- 1984
- Founding place
- Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Founders
- Sir Ernest Harrison and Gerry Whent
- Headquarters today
- Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1982–2026)
- Current CEO
- Margherita Della Valle
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Racal Secures UK Cellular License |
| 1985 | First Commercial Mobile Call in the UK |
| 1991 | Demerger from Racal as Vodafone Group Plc |
| 1999 | Acquisition of AirTouch Communications |
| 2000 | Historic Hostile Takeover of Mannesmann |
| 2007 | Launch of M-Pesa Mobile Money in Kenya |
| 2013 | Sale of 45% Verizon Wireless Stake for $130B |
| 2019 | Acquisition of Liberty Global European Assets |
| 2023 | Margherita Della Valle Appointed CEO & Major Restructuring |
| 2024 | Sales of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy |
| 2025 | VodafoneThree Merger Completed |
| 2026 | FY26 Results: ~$45.8B (€40.5B) Revenue |
- Where was Vodafone founded?
- Vodafone was founded in Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom in 1984. wikidata.org
- Who founded Vodafone?
- Vodafone was founded by Sir Ernest Harrison and Gerry Whent.
- When did Vodafone start?
- Vodafone was founded in 1984.
- How old is Vodafone?
- Vodafone is 42 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Vodafone grew out of Racal Electronics, the British defence electronics firm chaired by Sir Ernest Harrison. In 1982 Racal Strategic Radio, working with Millicom, won one of two UK cellular licences, the other going to British Telecom's Cellnet venture. Gerry Whent, a Racal executive, ran the new business. The Vodafone name, short for voice, data and phone, was adopted for the network. On 1 January 1985 Michael Harrison, Sir Ernest's son, made the first call on the network, from St Katharine Docks in London to the Racal offices in Newbury. In 1991, Racal Telecom was fully demerged from Racal Electronics to trade as an independent corporation on the London Stock Exchange as Vodafone Group.
Founders
Sir Ernest Harrison
Sir Ernest Harrison (1926-2009) was chairman of Racal Electronics. He backed Racal's 1982 bid for one of the UK's two cellular licences and funded the network that launched as Vodafone in 1985. Racal floated part of the telecoms business in 1988 and fully demerged it as Vodafone Group in 1991. His son Michael made the first call on the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985. Sir Ernest Harrison was born in 1926.
Gerry Whent
Sir Gerald 'Gerry' Whent (1927-2002) led Racal's cellular business from the 1982 licence win through the 1985 network launch, and became chief executive of Vodafone Group after its 1991 demerger from Racal. He retired at the end of 1996 and was succeeded by Chris Gent. Gerry Whent was born in 1927.
Key Milestones
Racal Secures UK Cellular License
Racal Strategic Radio secured one of two commercial cellular radio licenses granted by the UK government, competing against British Telecom.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst Commercial Mobile Call in the UK
On January 1, 1985, launched the UK's first commercial cellular call using an 11-pound transportable phone over the new Vodafone network.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDemerger from Racal as Vodafone Group Plc
Fully demerged from parent Racal Electronics to trade as an independent company on the London Stock Exchange.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of AirTouch Communications
Acquired US wireless operator AirTouch for $62 billion, later merging US operations into Verizon Wireless with a 45% ownership stake.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHistoric Hostile Takeover of Mannesmann
Won its hostile all-share bid for Germany's Mannesmann, a deal valued at roughly $148 billion (£112 billion), gaining the D2 mobile network in Germany and control of Omnitel in Italy.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLaunch of M-Pesa Mobile Money in Kenya
In partnership with Safaricom, launched M-Pesa, creating Africa's influential digital financial system.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSale of 45% Verizon Wireless Stake for $130B
Sold its 45% interest in Verizon Wireless back to Verizon Communications for $130 billion, executing one of the largest corporate cash payouts in history.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Liberty Global European Assets
Completed the purchase of Liberty Global's cable operations in Germany (Unitymedia), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, agreed in 2018 for an enterprise value of about $20.8 billion (€18.4 billion).
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMargherita Della Valle Appointed CEO & Major Restructuring
Margherita Della Valle appointed permanent Group CEO; initiated major strategic restructuring to cut debt and simplify operations.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSales of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy
Completed the sale of Vodafone Spain to Zegona (up to $5.65 billion (€5.0 billion)) and Vodafone Italy to Swisscom (~$9.04 billion (€8.0 billion)).
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVodafoneThree Merger Completed
Combined Vodafone UK with CK Hutchison's Three UK to form VodafoneThree, 51% owned by Vodafone, with a commitment to invest ~$14.5 billion (£11 billion) in UK networks over ten years.
Source: vodafone.comFY26 Results: ~$45.8B (€40.5B) Revenue
Reported FY26 total revenue of ~$45.8 billion (€40.5 billion), up 8.0%, and adjusted EBITDAaL of ~$12.9 billion (€11.4 billion), the first year including VodafoneThree.
Source: vodafone.comMajor Acquisitions
Mannesmann AG (Hostile Takeover)
2000Hostile all-share takeover of Germany's Mannesmann, valued at roughly $148 billion (£112 billion) when Mannesmann's board accepted in February 2000.
Liberty Global European Assets (Unitymedia)
2019Acquired Liberty Global's cable operations in Germany (Unitymedia), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania for an enterprise value of about $20.8 billion (€18.4 billion), to sell combined fixed and mobile services.
Three UK (merger forming VodafoneThree)
2025Combined Vodafone UK with CK Hutchison's Three UK to form VodafoneThree, cleared by the UK Competition and Markets Authority with binding commitments.
Ono (Grupo Corporativo Ono)
2014Acquired Spanish cable operator Ono for an enterprise value of about $8.14 billion (€7.2 billion) to gain its own cable and fibre network in Spain.
Keep researching Vodafone
Vodafone Company History FAQ
When, where, and by whom was Vodafone originally founded?
Vodafone was founded in 1984 in Newbury, Berkshire, England, as Racal Strategic Radio—a subsidiary of British defence electronics company Racal Electronics led by Sir Ernest Harrison and Gerry Whent.
When was the United Kingdom's first commercial cellular call made on Vodafone?
On January 1, 1985 (just after midnight), Michael Harrison, son of Racal chairman Sir Ernest Harrison, placed Britain's first commercial cellular phone call from London's St Katharine Docks to his father in Newbury.
What is the origin and meaning of the name "Vodafone"?
The name "Vodafone" was coined in 1984 by founding executive Gerry Whent and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi as an acronym for "VOice DAta FONE", reflecting mobile communication.
When did Vodafone demerge from Racal Electronics to become an independent company?
In September 1991, Racal Telecom was fully demerged from parent Racal Electronics and began independent trading on the London Stock Exchange as Vodafone Group Plc.
What was the landmark 1999 merger with AirTouch Communications?
In 1999, Vodafone acquired US wireless operator AirTouch Communications for $62 billion, creating Vodafone AirTouch and securing a 45% joint venture stake in Verizon Wireless alongside Bell Atlantic.
What was the historic hostile takeover of Mannesmann in 2000?
In February 2000, Vodafone completed a hostile takeover of German conglomerate Mannesmann for €180 billion (~$190 billion)—the largest corporate cross-border M&A transaction in global business history.
What was the monumental $130 billion sale of its Verizon Wireless stake in 2014?
In February 2014, Vodafone sold its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless back to Verizon Communications for $130 billion in cash and stock, returning $84 billion directly to shareholders in one of the largest corporate payouts ever.
How did Vodafone build its fixed-broadband empire in Germany?
Vodafone acquired Kabel Deutschland in 2013 for €7.7 billion and Liberty Global's Unitymedia in 2019 for €18.4 billion, creating Germany's dominant nationwide gigabit cable broadband network.
Why did Vodafone sell its operating subsidiaries in Spain and Italy in 2024?
To exit hyper-competitive, structurally low-return markets, CEO Margherita Della Valle sold Vodafone Spain to Zegona for €5.0 billion and Vodafone Italy to Swisscom for €8.0 billion, releasing €13 billion in cash.
What was the landmark Vodafone-Three UK merger completed in 2025?
Vodafone merged its UK business with CK Hutchison's Three UK to create "VodafoneThree" (51% owned by Vodafone), forming Britain's largest mobile operator with a committed £11 billion 5G investment plan.
When did Margherita Della Valle become permanent Group CEO?
Margherita Della Valle was appointed permanent Chief Executive Officer in April 2023, becoming the first permanent female CEO in Vodafone's history and immediately launching a sweeping operational simplification program.
What was Vodafone's financial scale in fiscal year 2026?
For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, Vodafone reported total revenue of €40.5 billion (~$45.8 billion USD) and adjusted EBITDAaL of €11.4 billion (~$12.9 billion USD), serving over 300 million customers across Europe and Africa.
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