Vodafone to take full control of UK mobile operator in £4.3bn deal

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison agrees to sell 49% stake as it attempts to reshape its portfolio

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Vodafone is to take full control of the UK’s biggest mobile operator in a £4.3bn buyout deal with the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison.

Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s business said it had agreed to sell its 49% stake in VodafoneThree – a network with more than 27 million subscribers – to its partner Vodafone.