All Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) articles
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: CMA weighs nexfibre–Netomnia options; CityFibre strengthens Vodafone ties
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including CMA priorities for Netomnia/nexfibre review, competition growing from multiservice propositions, CityFibre spins out a new wholesale aggregator, and plenty more…
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M&ACMA uprates Netomnia–nexfibre investigation to Phase 2 as altnets call for ‘urgency’
Altnet buyer nexfibre gets pragmatic and skips straight to the in-depth competition review, keeping hopes alive for completion before the end of the year. The UK’s fibre scene is set to change, but the CMA will now decide the extent.
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M&AVodafoneThree networks chief: merger remedies more ‘asset’ than ‘burden’
Chief Network Officer Andrea Donà has framed strict regulatory remedies as an “engineer’s paradise” as the UK operator sets about its £7bn network integration programme.
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M&Anexfibre’s Datta: ‘corner shop fibre’ is dead, the UK needs an infra megamart
Interview: proposed £2bn acquisition of Netomnia is sparking fierce debate across the UK broadband sector. With industry heavyweights trading blows over duopoly fears and infrastructure overlap, discover why CEO Rajiv Datta believes this consolidation is crucial to challenging Openreach.
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Financial & PerformanceLeading by example: Vodafone CEO frames UK integration as blueprint for future market evolution
FY25–26: Margherita Della Valle pitches the instant impact of the VodafoneThree merger as a driver for UK growth, improved financial performance, and a route to win in a tough competitive environment — but a muted end to FY25–26 tempers optimism, as pre-merger headaches persist.
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InterviewChelot: wholesale scale is ‘mission impossible’ without nexfibre-Netomnia deal
Interview: “I have a wholesale platform, but I have no wholesale customers”. Jeremy Chelot’s Netomnia hit a structural ceiling, with bowing out the only way to progress the Openreach challenge. Firing back at nexfibre deal critics, he asks for alternatives to his Plan B, deeming consolidation the best route and reflecting on the challenge of leading a business through a sale.
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M&ALiberty’s Fries dismisses CityFibre ‘sour grapes’ over £2bn nexfibre bulk-up
UK altnet tensions continue to heighten over the competitive implications of planned acquisition of Substantial Group, as Liberty Global CEO hits back at CityFibre over calls for in-depth CMA inquiry.
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InterviewIrrational and anti-competitive: CityFibre CEO urges CMA scrutiny of nexfibre-Netomnia-VM O2 consolidation play
Exclusive: In his first interview as CEO, Simon Holden unpacks Ofcom’s TAR framework and why the Competition and Markets Authority must intervene in the contentious £2bn nexfibre–Netomnia merger to protect infrastructure competition and prevent re-emergence of duopoly stagnation.
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Public AffairsTAR: Ofcom eyes ‘problematic’ promotions as access review sets regulatory landscape
Telecoms Access Review released, setting the scene for the next five years of regulation in the UK’s fast-shifting fibre market. While not signalling any major change of course, likely pleasing incumbent Openreach, altnet take-up appears to be receiving more attention as a litmus of market health, offering a possible fillip to challengers.
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M&AUK’s nexfibre goes big, gets Substantial
Deep dive: nexfibre’s planned takeover of Substantial Group, parent of infra rival Netomnia, is the UK’s first billion pound-plus fibre altnet transaction and may open the floodgates to long-anticipated consolidation in the fragmented, scale-hungry sector. Chief Executive Rajiv Datta speaks to TelcoTitans about how the deal boosts its challenge to incumbent Openreach on wholesale fibre.
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Public AffairsUK Court of Appeal sides with operators in latest Phones 4u ruling
The UK Court of Appeal has decisively ruled against Phones 4u’s long-running allegations of collusion among major operators, leaving the retailer to consider its final legal options and face substantial costs…
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Network & InfraVM O2, VodafoneThree firm up €401m spectrum deal to redress the ‘imbalance’
Following VodafoneThree’s merger completion, VM O2 outlines the spectrum it plans to acquire.
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M&ABT said to explore TalkTalk takeover to fend off further customer losses
BT reportedly mulling opportunistic acquisition of financially and operationally challenged TalkTalk, which could help with shoring up defences against fibre altnets and competing in the low-cost broadband sphere. Includes fibre wholesale, copper shutdown, exchange consolidation intrigue…
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M&AIntelsat–SES merger gets green light from UK competition watchdog
Satellite majors receive thumbs up from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority to go ahead with $3.1bn merger, clearing a major regulatory hurdle in their mission to build a “stronger and more competitive” multi-orbit satco.
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch Weekly: collaboration key to Group’s innovation, transformation
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including a call for quantum collaboration; EY, Pega tie-up on SMB channel transformation; legacy migration progress; and Q3 trading update build up…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch Weekly: AI leadership overhaul; Openreach turns to intent-based networking
Latest from BT as New Year people changes make for evolution at BT Digital; Openreach taps government grant funding for more rural fibre contracts; India promoted as more than just an engineering outpost; and Nokia takes a central spot in Openreach SDN…
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Interviewnexfibre: Keep leash on Openreach to drive UK fibre competition
nexfibre development chief Giles Rowbotham speaks with TelcoTitans on need to drive UK fibre competition by maintaining regulation of Openreach. Says Ofcom needs to keep an eye on wholesale pricing and copper-to-fibre migration process, as well as consolidation, investment, PIA, and local-level factors within wider market…
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Analyst BriefingInfrawatch Weekly: fibre boosts across Europe; space deals in the shadows
Latest from EMEA Infra: UK FibreCos hit key footprint expansion milestones, with Openreach to fuel programme with fresh Project Gigabit funds; MásOrange and Vodafone Spain firm up fibre venture in Spain; Amazon and SpaceX said to prepare government fibre deals in Italy and UK; more…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch Weekly: ‘in transition’ BT ends year on a high
Latest from BT as new Wholesale MD lays out her priorities; Sprinklr tie-up bears first fruit; asset-light international strategy picks up; and BT walks away unscathed from landmark £1bn+ class action case…
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OperationsVirgin Media O2 cuts ribbon on new Paddington HQ
Operator opens doors on new Paddington facility, after renovation to support transfers from previous Hammersmith and Slough offices. Move follows other office changes in recent months, as VM O2’s leases approach their expiration dates…