Vodafone has been a popular telecommunications company for many years – but people are only just learning what the name actually stands for.
Vodafone, a global network operator in 16 countries, has an intriguing backstory that many are only just discovering.
The company was established in July 1984 as Racal Strategic Radio under the leadership of chairman Ernest Harrison. Keen to expand his business, Harrison brokered a deal with Lord Weinstock of the UK General Electric Company, gaining access to their battlefield radio technology.
Harrison then tasked Gerry Whent, head of Racal’s military radio division, with investigating potential everyday applications for this technology. After visiting a mobile radio factory in Virginia, Whent returned with a vision for Racal Strategic Radio Ltd, which he later rebranded as Racal Telecom.
In September 1991, Racal Telecom split from Racal Electronics to form Vodafone Group PLC, with Whent at the helm as CEO.
When it came to naming the company, the founders wanted a brand that encapsulated their offering of “reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones”. They decided on a combination of three words – voice, data and phone (fone) – thus giving birth to the name Vodafone.
