All Greg Mesch articles
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M&ACityFibre’s Holden: altnets and backers must pull together for investment‑grade nirvana
In-depth from Eight Advisory’s London event: as UK fibre altnets face financing challenges, optimistic CityFibre COO reveals vision for consolidation, suggesting sector is “a very small number of M&A transactions away” from creating a sufficiently scaled platform to rival BT/Openreach and VM O2. Additional Greg Mesch and Rob Hamlin coverage from FTTH Conference in Amsterdam…
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach’s new deputy CEO: fibre take-up accelerating, ‘and we can go even faster’
FTTH Conference 2025: Katie Milligan teases Q4 build and take-up figures as Openreach keeps up the fibre rollout pace. Altnets reframe competition battle around migration…
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M&AFullFibre eyeing next M&A target as UK altnets enter ‘consolidation phase’
FTTH Conference 2025: FullFibre CEO James Warner teases more M&A to come as altnets prepare for ‘consolidation phase’, underpinned by regulatory certainty and investor confidence…
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M&ACityFibre returns to M&A with Connexin deal
Acquisition of network assets in Hull and surrounding region could see additional 184,000 premises passed by CityFibre network.
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Weekly BriefingsBTwatch Weekly: overseas dealmaking, domestic lobbying
Latest from around BT as Orange and AT&T are reported to be in talks regarding an international asset optimisation deal; UK regulation in focus for Ofcom, Openreach, and its long tail of altnet competitors; 5G SA rolls on; and BT pairs with peers to fulfil PSTN obligations…
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M&ACityFibre confirms M&A outreach, predicts 2025 acceleration and ‘inflection point’
UK’s largest altnet actively engaging rival FibreCos to discuss rollup deals. Sees M&A as “major opportunity” to up competitive pressure on incumbent Openreach. Read more about financial execution, XGS-PON and Sky amongst defining 2025 aspects after first year of profitability
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Financial & PerformanceCityFibre on the hunt for more cash to fund capital-intensive fibre rollout
UK altnet’s debt and equity funding due to dry up next year, but talks ongoing with prospective investors for new cash.
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Weekly BriefingsVodafonewatch Weekly: UK merger turns a corner, Italian sale hit with fresh challenge
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: closer scrutiny for Vodafone Italy sale to Swisscom; TPG cuts down, adds roaming partner; satellites in focus in African markets, just as SpaceMobile takes flight in US; more from Africa, Europe, and beyond…
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EventwatchVirgin Media O2 and CityFibre question each other’s fibre maths
Connected Britain: VM O2 CEO Lutz Schüler argues operator is taking “challenger” approach in UK’s fibre market, with nexfibre spin-off and upcoming NetCo positioning operator to be a “long-term sustainable partner” to altnets.
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M&AVirgin Media O2 gears up for £1bn NetCo stake sale — report
Operator reportedly aiming to offload at least 20% stake in fledgling NetCo, with several infrastructure, private equity, and pension funds taking interest.
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Network & InfrastructureCityFibre adds ‘kingmaker’ Sky in fibre wholesale offensive
UK’s largest altnet signs wholesale deal with Sky, making a dent in Openreach dominance and pushing further the claim of genuine competition to the incumbent. Sky commits to rental economics, while CityFibre leverages Project Gigabit fame to help ISPs to new full-fibre markets…
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M&ALiberty mulls M&A opportunities for Virgin Media O2’s NetCo
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries still “looking actively” at possible altnet acquisitions, noting potential for VM O2’s planned FibreCo spin-off to serve as a vehicle for consolidation in the UK’s fibre market.
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: direct-to-device investments; InfraCo independence; new network metrics
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including: investment in alternative connectivity technologies; infra spin-offs and data centre sales; coverage data fails; people moves; and plenty more…
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M&ACityFibre ignites M&A plan with Lit Fibre buy
Altnet lights M&A touchpaper with Lit Fibre deal, expands FTTP footprint and brings in Newlight Partners as minority investor. More to come from CityFibre soon…
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: end of the road for Digital 9, OneWeb’s space odyssey troubles continue
Digital 9 decides to wind down; OneWeb misses ‘global’ coverage targets; CityFibre aiming to get more active on M&A; more…
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Weekly BriefingsBTwatch Weekly: strategic swaps in the boardroom, rigorous defence in the courtroom
Latest around BT and its ecosystem as the Group goes to court to defend against overcharging class action; Deutsche Telekom goes strategic with latest BT board rep; and BT lays out a spectrum policy wish list; and more…
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Financial & PerformanceIs CityFibre now #1 UK fibre altnet by revenue, take-up?
With take-up doubling, revenue exploding, build on target and positive EBITDA imminent, NetCo boasts 50+ ISP retail partners are selling two- or even three-times’ as many CityFibre connections than sourced from Openreach. Appears Community Fibre and Hyperoptic overtaken, M&A next up…
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InterviewCEO Interview: CityFibre on M&A watch, competition bottlenecks, BT economic rationale questioned
‘BT’ called out for obstinate, irrational, anti-competitive behaviour that penalises own shareholders — needs to prioritise copper shutdown to deliver fibre payback, and start serving consumers outside Openreach footprint. Also CityFibre’s M&A tracking/ranking and NetCo purism, big-3 ISP lockout, regulator told to keep sharp, and more…
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Strategy & ChangeBT quashes talk of Openreach split
Connected Britain 2023: Howard Watson and Clive Selley say structural separation is not on the agenda; BT focused squarely on driving full-fibre deployment.
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PremiumCityFibre: Openreach strategy puts UK foreign investment at risk
CityFibre execs in Manchester and Madrid warn Ofcom that Openreach’s Equinox 2 pricing model jeopardises success story of foreign direct investment in UK infra.