Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone group by revenue, is to introduce a 1 billion pound share buy back programme, after the shares slumped following its first-quarter results.

Vodafone said on Tuesday that it expected its annual revenue to be at the bottom end of its outlook range due to a weaker first quarter performance, recent economic weakness and lower than expected equipment revenue.

Phone operator BT Group said on Tuesday it plans to invest 1.5 billion pounds to roll out super-fast broadband to up to 10 million homes by 2012.

France Telecom withdrew its $40 billion (20 billion pound) offer for Nordic telecoms group TeliaSonera on Monday, saying the parties could not reach an agreement on the terms of a deal.

Cable & Wireless said on Monday that it had increased its bid for fellow telecoms company Thus to £329 million, valuing the company at 180 pence per share. Thus have already rejected a bid worth 165 pence per share, on the grounds that it was too low.

Nokia Corp announced on Tuesday that it would buy out other shareholders of handset software company Symbian. The Finnish mobile giant said it would allow the software to be used without users having to pay royalties.

BCE, Canada's largest telecom company, won the backing of the country's Supreme Court on Friday to proceed with the world's biggest leveraged buyout, but financing could still trip up the deal.

Sony Ericsson yesterday unveiled its new "Maria Sharapova Design Collection" ahead of next week's annual Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone has dropped out of an auction for Italian firm Tiscali, it was reported on Thursday.

Carphone Warehouse profits were up 75 per cent to £216 million in the year ended 29 March 2008, the telecoms company said on Thursday. Revenue for the group also rose by 12 per cent to £4,474 million.

Verizon Wireless said on Thursday it will buy rural mobile service provider Alltel for $28.1 billion (14.4 billion pounds) including debt, which would vault it to first place in the U.S. market ahead of AT&T.

Vodafone said on Thursday that Verizon Wireless is currently in advanced talks to buy US rural mobile service provider Alltel. Vodafone own a 45 per cent stake in US-based Verizon.

When Vittorio Colao returned as deputy chief executive to mobile phone giant Vodafone in 2006, the news sparked speculation that he was being set up to replace the "beleaguered" CEO Arun Sarin.

Vodafone Group Chief Executive Arun Sarin is to stand down in July after five years in charge, the company said on Tuesday, as it hit forecasts for annual revenues and earnings and issued a solid outlook for 2009.

Telecoms company BT said on Thursday that its revenue for the full year to 31 March had risen two per cent to £20,704 million. Pre-tax profit was virtually unchanged at £2,506 million.

Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile USA and South Korea's SK Telecom, which controls U.S. mobile service Helio, are in early talks on a deal, a person familiar with the discussions said on Friday.

Carphone Warehouse will sell a 50 percent stake in its retail unit to U.S. electronics chain Best Buy for 1.1 billion pounds and they will launch a new company to expand across Europe.

Vanco Plc requested on Tuesday that the Financial Services Authority suspend trading in its securities pending clarification of its financial position.

The Carphone Warehouse Group has reported an increase in the number of people who have signed up to its telecoms subscriptions by 16 per cent year-on year. The company also said it had increased mobile connections by 12 per cent to 2.7 million.