All Christian Illek articles
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Financial & Performance
Headlines: DT shrugs off Europe-side wobbles
Home market growth dip puts a scratch in the Q1 veneer. Germany and US portrayed as protected on inflation, but Europe less so.
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Financial & Performance
DT Q4 FY21: Europe spend still on pause despite more decent data
New regional CEO Dominique Leroy kicks off leadership with a full FY of earnings growth. Nonetheless, DT remains unwillingly to up investment in region. Executives give downbeat assessment of regulatory and macro climate. Greece’s OTE and Austria’s Magenta Telekom among top performers.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Deutsche Telekom Group: Inmarsat takeover facing opposition
Illek wary on Drahi’s BT intentions; Nemat urges sector to “be human”; Inmarsat deal said to be causing UK ructions.
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Financial & Performance
DT’s FY21 report: events intervene but an empowered Höttges talks tough on towers
Another strong year of growth for Group, led by USA. Unfortunate clash with Ukraine invasion dulls shareholder reaction. Executives stress openness and flexibility when it comes to a big TowerCo deal, but want full recognition of DT assets’ worth. Muddiness on future of BT holding. Inflationary pressures said to ...
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Strategy & Change
DT prepared to scale back Russian hub amid crisis
DT has thousands of employees in Russia. CEO indicates the Group could shift staff and operations away from St. Petersburg software development function, in response to Ukrainian crisis. Tasks could be shifted to other digital hubs in India or eastern Europe. Crisis brings centre’s expansion plans to an ...
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People
Claure to add entrepreneurial energy to DT board
DT management wants Bolivian–American entrepreneur to have SoftBank’s seat on Supervisory Board. Claure sees potential in “undervalued” DT and is bullish about partnership. DT offers route to European market for SoftBank portfolio companies. But the appointment has some drama as a long-running compensation dispute reportedly threatens Claure’s relationship with ...
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Strategy & Change
DT’s real estate “right-sizing” takes effect
Deutsche Telekom’s property rationalisation, optimisation, and “right-sizing” project, mooted by execs at the Capital Markets Day, has started in earnest. Offices in Ansbach, Flensburg, and Regensburg among the first to change.
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Strategy & Change
DT, Vodafone push vendors to clean up emissions
Vodafone sends letter encouraging suppliers to step up support for its net zero emissions pledge. DT inserting stricter criteria into supplier assessments. Tackling climate change bringing commercial incentives for more fleet-footed telcos. Supply chain emissions an elephant in room for telcos as they talk up energy efficiency progress.
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Financial & Performance
DT’s top team drops €4m on shares
Leadership puts money where its mouth is following ambitious mid-term strategy update. German operator seeking to boost T-Share perceptions and align with T-Mobile US’ rising valuation.
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Operations
DT to halve real estate footprint in cost reduction drive
Group will shutter 50% of its German real estate in the period to December 2024. Expected net savings could reach €200m. Reflective of a “new way of working” at T-Systems and TDE.
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Strategy & Change
DT’s deal-maker Langheim studies his share options
The long journey to the top in the USA is not yet complete, but DT’s message is that patience is paying off and reiterates plans to take the number-one slot. European portfolio reshaping in pipeline, with Dutch “crown jewel” TMNL prepped for ownership rejig and carve-out of “kingmaker” tower ...
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Strategy & Change
Deutsche Telekom: Capital Markets Day
Capital Markets Day presentations show Group continuing to flourish thanks to big, correct calls over last decade. Group seeks to boost T-Share perceptions and better align itself with T-Mobile US’ rising valuation. Leadership puts money where its mouth is with bulk share buyup following ambitious mid-term strategy update. Höttges ...
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Network & Infrastructure
DT ready to carve out “kingmaker” tower assets
Deutsche Telekom wants to carve out “all” of its towers across Europe, says CFO Christian Illek. Change in mindset comes following rapid rise in TowerCo valuations. Czech and Slovakian footprint next to be assessed for extraction from NatCos.
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M&A
Deutsche Telekom pondering Dutch M&A options
Group appears cold on possibility of buying out junior partner in T-Mobile Netherlands when options open up in January 2022. New tie-up or sale flagged as likelier outcomes.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT eyes new tower markets amid domestic hurdles
TowerCo downgrades site-rollout target in Germany. Jacobfeuerborn, Illek hint at domestic M&A, expansion abroad. Group prowl for investor partners through DIV fund set up in collaboration with Cellnex. Deutsche Telekom wraps up Austrian tower spinout, adding another building-block added to multi-layered platform Group is building in European tower space. ...
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Financial & Performance
Q4 FY20: New Telekom CEO wants to muscle-up on fibre
Gopalan gets top-level billing in Q4 session as leadership shows confidence in new CEO to up DT’s domestic game. Group resets fibre mega-project goals. Apparently more sustainable FTTH plan puts ultrafast as central plank of future go-to-market strategy. New entity GlasfaserPlus emerges within Gopalan toolset. First signs emerge of ...
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Deutsche Telekom Group: BT holding devalued
Deutsche Telekom adds name to open source Magma initiative; Orange and TIM add theirs to DT-backed programmes.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in BT Group: rural rent causing problems
DT feels BT’s pain; EE among the MNOs to take flak for making the most of rural rent reductions.
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Network & Infrastructure
Magyar Telekom CEO rules out tower tie-ups
Tibor Rékasi anticipates no strategic activity in the “near future”. 5G coverage target met in Budapest.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom waiting in wings for TowerCo expansion
CFO Illek wants to see how Vantage Towers IPO pans out before making any big moves On prowl for investor partners through Digital Infrastructure Vehicle set up in collaboration with Cellnex. Flags Deutsche Funkturm’s “good price” and M&A possibilities. Selling tower assets to make a quick euro, à ...