Last week the Financial Times (FT) reported that Vodafone’s chief executive believes the question of dividend payments from Verizon Wireless, its US joint venture, is one of the most pressing items on the company’s agenda. “We need to solve the US situation,” admitted Vittorio Colao. The FT noted that Vodafone management and some of its shareholders have been frustrated by the UK group’s inability to extract value from its 45 percent share in the venture.