FibreCos – Page 26
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Interview
Openreach Tech team powers UK fibre build
CTIO Colin Lees shares impact of tech overhaul on network build. More effort on provisioning and repair in three-year transformation project. Openreach owns IT and Network strategy decisions; BT Digital and BT Networks are key suppliers. Three-supplier strategy for FTTP advances with Adtran, Huawei and Nokia.
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People
Openreach’s Milligan on importance of rural fibre
Openreach executive sees fibre deployment as key to reversing rural to urban migration. Building broadband is not enough: more education is required to ensure higher take-up. Need to ‘join the dots’ to ensure infrastructure and economic programmes are properly implemented.
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Premium
STL picked as Openreach fibre cable partner
STL cables expected to help simplify fibre deployment, while making the most of existing infrastructure. Environmental benefits of vendor solution referenced as focus on green network maintained.
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Strategy & Change
Selley “driving two trains” as fibre provisioning speeds up
Increasing Openreach resources are being funnelled towards ensuring customers are connected to full fibre — and revenue keeps coming in — while the rollout builds momentum. No firm date set to reach 20 million homes target, but annual goals to be flagged. As competition builds among fibre altnets, Openreach ...
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Network & Infrastructure
T-Mobile Netherlands bulks up on fibre via new KKR venture
Dutch NatCo builds on Primevest investments as first anchor tenant of Open Dutch Fiber. New fibre venture taps former CEO and CCO of Vodafone Germany partner Deutsche Glasfaser. Move raises further questions over Group plans for its Dutch business.
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Network & Infrastructure
Slovak Telekom rides Orange network for fibre growth
Operators reach agreement to share fibre network in bid to expand reach to greenfield sites. Over-the-top products to be a focus on launch in April.
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Premium
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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Premium
Q4 FY20: Shrinking Telxius focused on serving the core
Telefónica Infra’s biggest asset demonstrates worth ahead of its sale, while the remainder of the Telxius business is primped for a possible offload. Infra set to focus on development and management of fibre InfraCos to ease Group capital demands and accelerate fibre rollout, while serving the need of OBs. ...
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Public Affairs
Ofcom gives BT fibre pricing freedom, but adds burdens
Openreach not to face caps or controls on national ultrafast pricing until 2031, as long as it is “fair and reasonable”. Locally-targeted pricing from Openreach prohibited as Ofcom seeks to protect emerging altnets. BT Consumer may lose some edge from 90 day notice period for new propositions from Openreach. ...
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Public Affairs
BT braces as Ofcom fibre ruling looms
Ofcom to set out its fibre vision this week, and while BT may get pricing freedom, it may not get the longer-term clarity it craves. Regulator’s steps to open up infrastructure competition may also disrupt the incumbent’s plans.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT quietly setting up new fibre company in Germany
GlasfaserPlus comes into being amid accelerating fibre drive by Srini Gopalan.
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Premium
Openreach NI fibre plan stirs up Project Stratum
Openreach Northern Ireland on track to exceed FY20–21 full-fibre target. Overlap emerges with Openreach plan and publicly funded project. NI leads UK with highest full-fibre availability.
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Partnerships & Alliances
VodafoneZiggo consults virtual twin on fibre rollout strategy
Post-trial, Dutch operator partners with Tata Consultancy Services on AI-based network planning — and perhaps other functions too.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone tests 100G PON waters with Nokia
Experimental PON tech developed by Nokia Bell Labs gets runout at Vodafone’s Competence Centre in Eschborn, Germany. Enables speeds of up to 100Gbps on a single wavelength using a combination of 25G optics and “advanced” DSP techniques. Nokia envisages commercial availability in “second half of decade”.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vivo taps CDPQ for fibre spin out, as KKR invests in Chile
Telefónica|Vivo signs a 50:50 deal with Quebec-based investor to launch FiBrasil. Wholesale fibre provider will expand Vivo’s geographic reach, while the OB focuses on upgrading its existing fixed-network footprint. Long-heralded $1bn Chilean InfraCo plans culminate with KKR taking 60% stake.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT moves goalposts on German infrastructure mega-projects
Headline FTTH and cell site expansion roadmaps reworked. COVID-19 disruption, regulatory barriers, and bad weather cited as contributors. First signs emerge of the Group’s new, pandemic-influenced medium-term planning, due to be laid out later in 2021.
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT teams with Cellnex for European tower expansion
Two groups firm up relationship following a long courtship. Dutch unit T-Mobile Infra to be DT’s anchor investment in new Digital Infrastructure Vehicle. Move releases DT to join European TowerCo gold rush, but while keeping options open on future ownership of its own infrastructure assets.
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Suppliers & SCM
Openreach deploys EXFO technology for fibre rollout
Rollout speed gains stressed as key motivator for purchase.
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Network & Infrastructure
Glasfaser Nordwest brings fibre build in-house
Deutsche Telekom-EWE joint venture launches Glasfaser Nordwest Connect subsidiary to complete the last metres of FTTH builds. Brings formerly outsourced operations in-house, leaving the bulk of the work to “expansion partners”. FTTH network nearing launch in select areas.
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People
Openreach seeks people power to fuel full-fibre
BT infrastructure division announces 5,300 new jobs for 2021, although 2,800 of them will be created within subcontractors. Capacity needed to increase weekly rate of full-fibre premises passed from 40,000 to 50,000.