Verizon seeks full control of Vodafone stake, worth $115 billion

US phone company Verizon may be set to take full ownership of Vodafone’s US mobile stake for a massive $115 billion, ending their current joint venture as Verizon Wireless.

UK owned Vodafone currently holds a 45% stake in the partnership, but selling could earn the company $115 billion – the biggest deal since Time Warner and AOL partnered in 2001, according to reports from Bloomberg.

Last quarter, Verizon Wireless added a record 2.1 million subscribers, ultimately generating an earnings margin of over 41%.

After disagreements concerning a full merger of the two companies – which would result in one of the biggest takeovers in history – Verizon has expressed its desire to take over the partnership completely to give it greater control over its “most profitable division”.

Jonathan Chaplin, analyst at New Street Research in New York, told Bloomberg that: “Verizon wants to control what is genuinely the best telecom asset on the planet.

“Verizon Wireless just came off a phenomenal year where they capture all the growth in the industry with record high margins. And this year I would expect the same.”

Accepting the deal would give Vodafone the opportunity to further expand into the European market, possibly acquiring Germany’s Kabel Deutschland Holding AG (KD8).

Verizon is looking to take full control of Vodafone’s US mobile stake this year.