Vodafone,Verizon to vote on merger deal

The boards of Verizon communications and Vodafone Group are expected to vote this weekend on a 130 billion deal,funded by about 65 billion of debt,to give the US telecom giant complete ownership of Verizon Wireless,people familiar with the matter said.

A deal,which the sources said could be announced as soon as Monday,would cap Verizons decade-long effort to win full control of the No. 1 US wireless provider.

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At 130 billion,it would be the third-largest corporate acquisition of all time and mark British telecom giant Vodafones exit from the large but mature US market.