All Fibre Challengers articles
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: squeezing value from investment, Lightning administration unpicked, SiFi lands in America
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including infra owners declaring if they’ve got it, they might as well use it; a Lightning‑quick insolvency resolution; the Welsh sector veteran bringing fibre to the US; people moves, and plenty more…
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Financial & Performance
Lightning Fibre’s quick insolvency switch could show the way for struggling altnets
Lightning Fibre’s £40m pre-pack sale out of administration and back into the hands of the investment fund that had supported its initial build may prove a template for struggling UK altnets as expectations on performance levels rise, but at what cost for suppliers and partners? Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: CTOs to the fore as industry reshuffles, DT disses 1&1, BDUK springs forward
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including big Project Gigabit wins for Quickline, Wessex Internet, and Wildanet; a first appearance in the wild of a DSIT-funded 4G mast; DT taking a swipe at its newest mobile rival; people moves, and plenty more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Major players in the frame as Project Gigabit mega-deals come into play
Altnets including Quickline, Wessex and Wildanet pick up BDUK contracts to reach rural homes, but the prospect of cross-regional deals for Openreach and VM O2 appears increasingly likely as another agreed deal is abandoned…
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Network & Infrastructure
‘Stop the mud slinging’: DT’s Gopalan hammers German rivals’ fibre competition complaints
FTTH Conference 2024: Tensions spill over in Berlin on fibre leaders CEO panel, with competitors arguing over who and what is to blame for poor position in European league table on availability and penetration. Incumbent Srini Gopalan lambasts ‘rhetoric’, untruths, lying. Read much more…
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Interview
Netomnia: capex inefficiency is blocking consolidation opportunity
Speaking to TelcoTitans, Netomnia founder and CEO Jeremy Chelot suggests too many altnets are banking on unachievable take-up goals, and that playing fast and loose with investor money has resulted in a block on viable valuations for consolidation.
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M&A
CityFibre ignites M&A plan with Lit Fibre buy
Altnet lights M&A touchpaper with Lit Fibre deal, expands FTTP footprint and brings in Newlight Partners as minority investor. More to come from CityFibre soon…
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone, OXG pull €1bn from German fibre investment pot
OXG Glasfaser to widen Vodafone Germany’s reach in major expansion initiative, covering 900,000 homes. Project to begin imminently, at a time when Germany’s fibre market is only getting more competitive…
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Interview
Fibrus preps off-net retail expansion, asserts leadership in own footprint
CEO interview: having achieved FTTP leadership and segment-topping KPIs within own fibre footprint, altnet now challenging traditional incumbents on own turf. Northern Ireland a case study in high-penetration and how hyperlocal majorly disrupts network, ISP status quo…
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Network & Infrastructure
‘Focus and finance’: Telefónica sees UK NetCo adding fuel to fibre build
Virgin Media O2’s co-parent paints new, networks-focused UK business as an engine to accelerate roll out and monetisation of fibre connections.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: billion-pound network investments, digital inclusivity, and French fibre M&A on the menu
VM O2 moves to forge UK NetCo/ServCo split in operations; associate nexfibre to remain separate, commits £1bn to 2024 build; Orange CEO suggests M&A still on agenda to expand domestic fibre footprint; TalkTalk in negotiations over wholesale arm sale; much more…
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Profile
UK altnet Freedom Fibre brings “new tricks” to crowded, fragmented market
Profile: Freedom Fibre CEO Neil McArthur is a serial network builder making moves in the UK altnet market with his latest venture.
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Venturing & Investments
nexfibre readies billion-pound spend to snag second spot in UK fibre build race
£1bn to be pulled from funding pot as wholesale NetCo looks to identify as second in 2024’s UK fibre race, in terms of both additions and overall challenger build-out; confirmed remaining outside of VM O2 NetCo carve out…
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Public Affairs
UK: Lords maul government on digital exclusion, call for greater altnet role
Locally-focused altnets are seen as a valuable tool in bridging the Digital Divide by peers tasked with assessing the costs and consequences of digital exclusion.
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M&A
TalkTalk rumours show potential for break-up to shake up status quo
Under-pressure telecoms group could take drastic action to alleviate debt concerns, which could significantly shake up the consumer and wholesale fibre ecosystem in the UK.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: CityFibre asserts Project Gigabit dominance; 1&1 makes more infra deployment promises…
CityFibre grabs five more Project Gigabit contracts; WightFibre extends Gigabit Island coverage in battle against Openreach; 1&1 sets more targets for antenna site deployments; much more…
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Deep Dive
Profile: WightFibre closes in on Gigabit Island dream; Openreach relegated to wannabe
Isle of Wight operator edges towards completion of Gigabit Island build. Now to deliver on hefty financials. Petri dish to watch Openreach play (very distant) challenger to hyperlocal with real moat. Read on to find out more…
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Network & Infrastructure
CityFibre takes lion’s share of UK’s latest £460m Project Gigabit tranche
Altnets continue to own Project Gigabit, with CityFibre even more dominant, extending first mover advantage over Openreach/BT and nexfibre/VM O2. Read more…
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Interview
Freedom Fibre CEO sees VX merger adding investment muscle for UK M&A
With InfraBridge as its new controlling shareholder, Freedom Fibre will come into investor giant DigitalBridge’s orbit.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: end of the road for Digital 9, OneWeb’s space odyssey troubles continue
Digital 9 decides to wind down; OneWeb misses ‘global’ coverage targets; CityFibre aiming to get more active on M&A; more…