Verizon CEO sees no box for partnership with Vodafone

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc"s (VZ.N) tip senior manager discharged conjecture his association would combine with wireless try partner Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L), observant such a understanding would suggest small benefit.

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Chief Executive Ivan Seidenberg additionally pronounced on Tuesday that Verizon Wireless would be open to carrying iPhone but the timing would be Apple Inc"s (AAPL.O) decision.

Seidenberg was asked about new conjecture that it could combine with Vodafone at a Council on Foreign Relations event.

"Absent new information, a partnership doesn"t appear to have a lot of appeal," Seidenberg told reporters.

Verizon owns 55 percent of Verizon Wireless and Vodafone owns the superfluous 45 percent.

Analysts have prolonged speculated that Verizon could be pressured to compensate Vodafone a division for the interest in Verizon Wireless as the try has not paid a division given 2005. Once that issue is resolved, a little analysts have speculated that the span could afterwards merge.

But Seidenberg pronounced it would be tough to have the box for such a deal. He that Verizon and Vodafone speak all the time but would not blow up on specific talks.

He told the assembly at the eventuality that "this idea of a tellurian wireless usually conduit is no longer the elite model" since of difficulties reaching economies of scale. Vodafone is a wireless-only user whilst Verizon has both connected and wireless networks.

Seidenberg additionally pronounced Verizon would be open to carrying Apple"s iPhone on the network. In sold the senior manager pronounced he would goal to be means to sell an iPhone that supports a Long Term Evolution (LTE) high-speed fourth era (4G) network the association is building.

"It"s their call," he said. "Eventually it"s the perspective we"ll get to carrying Apple."

The criticism follows a new Wall Street Journal story that pronounced Apple would begin creation phones concordant with Verizon"s stream CDMA network after this year.

Verizon expects to suggest 4G services after this year and that the initial phones ancillary those services would show up around the center of 2010.

Vodafone shares were down 1.38 percent at 149.6 pence in afternoon traffic on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday whilst Verizon shares were off 0.83 percent at $31.20 on New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew and Franklin Paul; Editing by Derek Caney)

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