Verizon Wireless files-IPO

Vodafone Group PLC
24 August 2000

    VODAFONE ANNOUNCES VERIZON WIRELESS FILES REGISTRATION FOR IPO


Vodafone  Group Plc ('Vodafone') announces that Verizon  Wireless  Inc.
today  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration
statement relating to the initial public offering of its Common Stock.

Verizon  Wireless Inc. will be a holding company whose sole asset  will
be  partnership interests in the Verizon Wireless partnership and whose
sole  business  will be to act as the managing general partner  of  the
partnership.   The  Verizon Wireless partnership  includes  the  United
States  wireless  communications operations of  Verizon  Communications
(the  company  created  by the merger of Bell  Atlantic  and  GTE)  and
Vodafone.

The shares will be issued and sold by Verizon Wireless Inc., which will
invest  the  proceeds  in the Verizon Wireless  partnership.  The  lead
underwriters  will  be Goldman, Sachs & Co. and  Merrill  Lynch  &  Co.
Copies  of  the  registration  statement  may  be  obtained  from   the
Securities and Exchange Commission website at: www.sec.gov.

A  registration statement relating to these securities has  been  filed
with  the  Securities and Exchange Commission but has  not  yet  become
effective.  These securities may not be sold nor may offers to  buy  be
accepted   prior  to  the  time  the  registration  statement   becomes
effective.  This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or
the  solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there  be  any  sale  of
these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale
would  be  unlawful  prior to registration or qualification  under  the
securities laws of any such state.


For further information contact:
Terry Barwick, Director of Corporate Affairs
Tim Brown, Investor Relations Director
Melissa Stimpson, Senior Investor Relations Manager
At Vodafone Group Plc
Telephone: [phone]

Lulu Bridges
Tavistock Communications
Telephone:  [phone]