Vodafone is looking to snap up a UK ISP as the giant mobile phone company seeks to move into fixed line telecoms. The Sunday Telegraph reported that Vodafone has already popped Tiscali UK (which has a million broadband punters) on its shopping list, alongside Cable & Wireless-owned Bulldog.

Vodafone's eagerness to expand its operation comes as the UK's major players embark on a strategy to provide bundled phone, internet, TV and mobile services.

To recap, cableco NTL has merged with Telewest and is buying Virgin Mobile; Carphone has launched "free" broadband as part of a cut-price phone combo; pay-TV outfit Sky is due to launch its broadband service later this year; Wanadoo is expected to take on the colour of its sister company Orange as a new enlarged group offers converged services; and BT has pencilled in the autumn for the launch of its broadband TV service.

In the face of such shifts, Vodafone is trying to ensure it doesn't get left behind. No one at Vodafone was available for comment at the time of writng because "they were all busy", apparently. However, follow-up reports suggest that Vodafone has played down links with Tiscali and Bulldog.

Indeed, the boss of Vodafone isn't convinced the cellco needs to buy an ISP. Four weeks ago Vodafone boss Arun Sarin said the giant cellco was looking to branch out into the fixed line world to offer voice and broadband products alongside its own mobile services. However, in a newspaper interview, he said there was no need to buy up telcos and ISPs since it was just as easy to resell wholesale services.

"The question is, as the world evolves with services like VoIP and Wi-Fi and all that, should we expand the services our company provides? I am not sure why one would want to buy a fixed-line asset when one can resell broadband DSL and other bits we may want to bundle," he said. ®

Related stories

Vodafone's Kiwi buy points to change in strategy (10 October 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/10/vodafone_buys_kiewi_isp/
Bulldog up for sale (3 July 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/03/bulldog_up_for_sale/
Voda dogged by reports of shareholder revolt (5 June 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/05/vodafone_shareholders/
Be Unlimited 24Meg broadband review (1 June 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/01/be_unlimted_24meg_review/
IT jobs under threat as Voda reports £15bn loss (30 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/30/voda_jobs/
Vodafone gives corporate merry go-round a spin (23 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/23/vodafone_board/
Voda Arcor sale off - report (22 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/22/voda_arcor/
O2 explores fixed line options (12 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/12/o2_fixed/
O2 sniffs around Bulldog, Tiscali - report (5 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/05/o2_bulldog/
Bulldog doubles broadband speeds (28 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/28/bulldog_broadband/
Security pros give VoIP the brush-off (27 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/27/infosec_voip_debate/
Vodafone Japan completes sale (27 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/27/vodafone_japan/
BT hits back at Carphone dig (26 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/26/bt_carphone/
TalkTalk slapped for 'free' calls ad (26 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/26/carphone_asa/
Carmoan Warehouse hits out at ad critics (24 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/24/carphone_asa/
Ad watchdog mulls Carphone 'free broadband forever' complaints (20 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/20/carphone_asa/
Carphone talks tough on LLU deadline (12 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/12/carphone_llu_deadline/
Carphone unveils 'free' broadband (11 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/11/carphone_broadband/
Vodafone restructures business (6 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/06/vodafone_restructure/
Ofcom confirms continued cellco dominance (30 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/30/cellco_challenge/
Vodafone eyes fixed line service (20 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/20/vodafone_fixed/
BT unveils fixed-mobile combo (17 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/17/bt_orange/
Gent well cheesed off by Voda row - report (14 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/14/vodafone_gent/
Gent quits Voda (13 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/13/gent-voda/
Voda's top marketing man clears desk (9 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/09/vodafone_cmo/
Orange offers SMEs fixed line phone service (24 February 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/24/orange_wlr/
Orange and Wanadoo spared job cuts in UK (15 February 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/15/orange_wanadoo/