EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 208
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT’s tooz and Adidas become running buddies
Retailer’s smartphone app and startup’s smart-glasses tech deemed compatible. Operator’s 50:50 JV ramping-up B2B and B2C product development efforts.
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Network & Infrastructure
EE spins up spectrum to further 5G ambitions
New licences put to use minutes after being issued, in partnership with Nokia. BT pays an additional £23m after initial low-ball auction, but Group still bagged “an excellent price”, says Consumer CEO Marc Allera. EE open to future spectrum trades as O2 and Vodafone sign their own deal.
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Innovation (R&D)
UK access to Horizon Europe unclear
Government offers to pay some of the costs, but not all, to access EU’s Horizon Europe scientific funding initiative. The successor to Horizon 2020, which BT has tapped into, Horizon Europe has an R&D budget of €95.5bn.
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People
Telefónica, Liberty lay out leadership for merged VM-O2
Telefónica and Virgin Media execs share the spoils 50:50 at the new venture, which is still pending regulatory approval. Jo Bertram and Gareth Turpin among the O2 names to get a seat, with Telefónica Argentina’s de Meo brought in as CIO. No room for O2’s HR guru Catherine Leaver, ...
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Enterprise (B2B)
Telefónica Tech and Google Cloud offer GÉANT joint package
EU-funded initiative taps longstanding B2B alliance for public cloud offerings. Spanish research institutions in digitalisation mode, with operator on hand to provide technical support. More permanent hybrid classroom practices in pipeline.
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Premium
BT people moves: strategic appointments in health and banking
BT continues its effort to grow into the healthcare industry with accounts leaders named at Enterprise. Unilever CISO joins Group as cybersecurity VP. BT Global’s Rycx targets Simplify programme expansion for MNCs. Board changes at soon-to-be subsumed OnePhone.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT highlights further mmWave tests with Ericsson
Group moves from E-Band to W-Band in ongoing 5G mmWave backhaul trials.
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Operations
ISS on track to resolve DT deal setbacks
DT’s FM partner incurred one-off costs in 2020. CEO confident that DT contract will be “moving towards breakeven” in 2022. ISS shedding subsidiaries as part of new OneISS strategy. Former DT procurement chief joins ISS as head of German division.
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT’s Comfortcharge to power Hamburg’s e-taxi fleet
Deutsche Funkturm subsidiary playing key role in Hamburg’s ‘go green’ initiative. Zukunftstaxi programme bags broader DT involvement.
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Innovation (R&D)
DT pressure-tests Niantic’s multiplayer AR tech
Artificial reality developer Niantic taps MobiledgeX for social AR gaming. DT among carrier partners to conduct network tests for latest 5G-enabled mobile game.
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT IoT taps Polte for positioning progress
Cellular location specialist and DT IoT partner Polte flagged successful initial trials, to be built into commercial pilots with “several” DT customers. German NB-IoT network to be used in the next phase of testing as DT IoT expands its IoT Solution Optimizer proposition.
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Products & Services
Handset leases lumped into Movistar Fusión 5G bundles
Three-year lease agreements attached to convergence bundles potentially undermining commitments to removing minimum terms. Price increase in “disguise”, says Spanish media. Telco attempts to drive uptake of 5G-enabled mobile devices, amid 5G rollout efforts.
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Innovation (R&D)
Telefónica leads TIP 5G private network trial
Telefónica leads latest Telecom Infra Project solution group, with private networks the focus. TIP Community Lab in Madrid to host tests before Málaga excursion.
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Innovation (R&D)
Telefónica Argentina taps IBM for open RAN trial
Proof of concept open RAN network led by IBM as systems integrator. Movistar test network adds to Group trials in Germany and the UK. IBM plants open RAN flag in Spain with new Centre of Excellence.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Deutsche Telekom Group: digital transformation taskforce assembled
Inmarsat takes Dutch government to court; positive publicity for procurement JV; DT signs up to EU’s multi-telco ‘green’ coalition.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telekom Deutschland: small-cells in Berlin
Smart city strategy in place in Wunsiedel; Berlin readies for small-cell deployments; DT flags sewer network partnership.
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Premium
Elsewhere in Deutsche Telekom Europe: Croatian auction in pipeline
Croatian auction in the works; Greek OTE takes home satellite and BI contracts; Romania makes Huawei verdict.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Systems Solutions: T-Sys trumpets ServiceNow success
T-Systems backs out of Toulouse; digital solutions partner Flexperto gets picked up by RGI Group.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telefónica Group: Wayra launches Munich lab
Innovation hothouse creates German 5G campus; Prisa reshuffle continues; MÁSMÓVIL deal hits Telefónica shares.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telefónica Infra-Tech: e-health explored
E-health continues to expand as key Telefónica 5G vertical; SMEs targeted with Telefónica Tech cloud and security product additions.