EXHIBIT 8(a)
                        [Sullivan & Cromwell Letterhead]
 
                                                                  April 22, 1999
 
Vodafone Group Public Limited Company,
The Courtyard, 2-4 London Road,
Newbury, Berkshire RG14 1JX, England.
 
    Ladies and Gentlemen:
 
    We have acted as counsel to Vodafone Group Public Limited Company, an
English company ("Vodafone"), in connection with the proposed merger (the
"Merger") of Apollo Merger Sub Inc., a newly-formed Delaware corporation and a
direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Vodafone ("Merger Sub"), with and into
AirTouch Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("AirTouch"), with
AirTouch surviving, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
Agreement"), dated as of January 15, 1999, among Vodafone, AirTouch and Merger
Sub. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings
specified in the Registration Statement relating to the Merger, or the
appendices thereto (including the Merger Agreement).
 
    We have, with your consent, made the assumptions and relied upon the facts
and representations set forth in the Registration Statement under the heading
"Material Tax Consequences."
 
    On the basis of the foregoing, and our consideration of such other matters
of fact and law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate, we hereby confirm
that the description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the
internal reorganization and the Merger set forth in the Registration Statement
under the heading "Material Tax Consequences," subject to the limitations and
qualifications set forth therein, represents our opinion as to all of the
material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the internal reorganization and
the Merger.
 
    We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to this opinion in the Registration
Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are within the
category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission thereunder.
 
                                          Very truly yours,
 
                                          /s/ Sullivan & Cromwell