EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 177
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Suppliers & SCMVM O2 puts Samsung in RAN frame
Longstanding suppliers Nokia, Ericsson put on alert as JV explores “vendor diversity”. VM O2 will put Samsung’s 4G and 5G RAN equipment through its paces. South Korean supplier maintains kit is open RAN-compliant (after some configuration changes).
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in the UK: Ofcom looking at scam calls
Ofcom and operators team on scam calls, within limits; VM O2 IPTV launch draws nearer.
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Strategy & ChangeSpain’s ‘big three’ agitate for consolidation
Top execs at Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone indicate ‘enough is enough’ in Spain’s hyper-competitive market. Telefónica Group COO says Spanish incumbent can play “facilitator role” for consolidation in a market that is “not sustainable”. Vodafone CEO’s patience running out on low returns from southern Europe; looking to “actively engage” ...
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Products & ServicesMovistar set for home insurance launch
Move continues Spanish operator’s consolidation in insurance sector.
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Financial & PerformanceOpenreach accelerates provisioning to leave rivals in starting blocks
CEO Clive Selley on fibre build: phase one is “done”; now onto “selling and populating” stage. Bullish Business Briefing shows Openreach determined to establish its ‘fibre franchise’ as a marketplace while rivals strive for scale. Build process moving towards cruise control with Openreach cornering the market in skills.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Spain: Spain looking to grow O2 budget play
O2 brand to appear in Movistar shop window as part of ongoing retail revamp; Telefónica Empresas takes on digitisation challenge in rural banks.
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M&AT-Systems sale speculation resurfaces
Reports in German media indicate DT could pare back ownership of — and exposure to — its long-challenged enterprise IT business. Suggestions point to a possible three-way deal in 2022.
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Strategy & ChangeVodafone seeks experts for skills hubs in Dresden and Málaga
Recruitment process currently looks more active in Málaga than Dresden.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Germany: O2 Germany launches Easy IoT
Outsourced payroll automation on the move; O2 showcases real-world 5G developments.
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PremiumO2 Germany pushes back on 5GC rollout
Operator “fully on track” to meet coverage targets, but stalls on 5GC. Will not roll out 5G SA on a large-scale until it offers “real added value for customers”. Puts Huawei base station antenna innovation through its paces at 5G Tech City project in Munich.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone CEO open to fibre JVs in Germany
Read exploring off-balance sheet financing and infrastructure partnerships to meet FTTP demand. Retains the love for HFC, however; believes network upgrades across cable footprint will meet consumers’ broadband requirements for some time yet. Della Valle pointedly notes that mid-term capex fixed guidance does not include FTTP buildouts.
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Strategy & ChangeDT retains “strategic partnership” with Hungary
DT CEO Höttges meets with Hungarian PM. Operator’s local unit Magyar Telekom accelerates developments in the country.
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Partnerships & AlliancesSpaceMobile lines up 2022 trials with Vodacom
Chairman Abel Avellan says six-month interconnection and testing programme will follow launch of BlueWalker 3 prototype. Lift-off of giant spacecraft may see slight slippage. US startup adds more MNO partners to go-to-market ahead of 2023 debut.
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Vendor VoiceOracle: Cloud evolution must be business-led for digital SPs
For many years, the telecoms industry has been attempting the balancing act of managing the decline of traditional services while extracting the full value of decades of massive investment in the operational systems that enable them. The challenge of escaping this ‘technology debt’ has now been heightened by a ...
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PremiumOperators sign second mobile pact for NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia steps up ambitions to be Germany’s leading 5G location. Markus Haas said operators have agreed to build 1,000 new sites in exchange for faster permits. Tower lease costs rising in line with expectations as network expands. CFO Rolle signals caution on FTTP buildout.
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Strategy & ChangeO2 brand to appear in Movistar shop window
Reports indicate Movistar will trial O2-branded fixed and mobile services in its Telyco stores ahead of a potential broader rollout. News comes after loosened regional restrictions, allowing discounted O2 services in hundreds of new municipalities.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Telefónica Group: €100m spent on HQ digital refurb
Telefónica splashes out €100m on HQ digital refurb; Prosegur plots LatAm expansion with “ally” Telefónica.
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Financial & PerformanceVodafone: DT and Orange are ‘credible’ tower merger partners
Read confirms either of Vodafone’s big European rivals could end up being an ally as noise continues to increase around an “industrial merger” for Group’s Vantage Towers business.
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Venturing & InvestmentsHöttges: “All options open” for BT stake
Patrick Drahi free to make bigger move on BT from 11 December. French billionaire is planning to increase BT stake, reports Reuters. Sources say any move likely to involve DT. Höttges keeps cards close to chest.
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Network & InfrastructureVantage states ‘clear interest’ in Cornerstone buyout
Vodafone’s European TowerCo eyes opportunities in Netherlands and UK as partners Liberty and Telefónica look to cash in on wireless infrastructure assets. Strategic tie-up between Vantage and another MNO TowerCo also remains a possibility.