UK regulator Ofcom has said that there is nothing stopping EE’s rivals, such as Vodafone and O2, from putting in an application to alter their 900MHz spectrum licence for LTE usage. A ruling in early 2011 meant that all operators are now free to use their 2G spectrum for 3G services, so extension of that same ruling to encompass 4G would be a small amend.

With M2M services expected to grow rapidly over the coming quarters, Vodafone is attempting to steal a march on its rivals by collaborating with tech giant IBM for the remote management of connected home appliances. The two firms have been demonstrating the mobile management of a washing machine and other smart home devices, connected by Vodafone’s Global M2M Platform and running on IBM’s new SmartCloud Service Delivery Platform at the IFA consumer technology event in Berlin this past week.

Mobile operator Vodafone has lambasted UK regulator Ofcom for its decision to allow Everything Everywhere to launch LTE services at 1800MHz, ahead of the LTE spectrum auction process. In a statement attributed to a Vodafone UK spokesperson the operator dismissed Ofcom’s ruling as “careless” and “bizarre”, adding that the regulator was “all that stands in the way” of a competitive LTE landscape for the UK.

Gavin Darby, the former Vodafone executive who became CEO at Cable and Wireless Worldwide (CWW) in November 2011 has been removed from his role after Vodafone completed its acquisition of CWW.

UK fixed and mobile operators are divided over whether to sign up to a voluntary code of practice in support of net neutrality. While ten service providers have signed up, Vodafone, Everything Everywhere and Virgin Media have so far refused.

It’s quarterly results time again, with Vodafone, Verizon, Microsoft and Google reporting varying degrees of success for the quarter ended June 30.

Operator group Vodafone reported almost flat revenues for the quarter, climbing by just one per cent, to reach £10.8bn ($17bn).

Operator group Vodafone has agreed to acquire Telstra’s New Zealand arm TelstraClear, for a sum of NZ$840m ($663m). The acquisition strengthens Vodafone position in New Zealand, where it is already the country’s largest mobile operator in terms of subscriber base, with 2.4 million customers; 66 per cent of whom are on prepaid contract, and 1.035m customers on 3G, according to Informa’s WCIS.

Mobile operators 3 and Vodafone are set to embark on a network sharing agreement in Ireland. A source close to the deal told Telecoms.com that the two operators are in advanced discussions regarding a joint infrastructure partnership.

Consumers have shown that they are willing to pay a premium for a smartphone if the device is good enough. But they have not been enticed by low-cost smartphones, as it seems that many consumers in developed markets view their smartphone as both a crucial part of their lives and a status symbol. And at the end of the day, if they’re stuck with a phone for a 24-month contract, they want a good one.