Infra Event Coverage from Eventwatch
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Strategy & Change
TowerCos move to defend turf against ‘very aggressive’ land bankers
Real estate-poor European TowerCos brace for land bank predators. Not-a-TowerCo Cellnex taking initiative with creation of Celland LandCo. Yet another area where the US sets the pace. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: interesting infra times in Spain, a SatCo share drop lawsuit, and UK altnets’ ‘moment of peril’
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including consideration at Connected North of how altnets can balance urgent, and occasionally conflicting, priorities; Cellnex aiming to win as the Spanish mobile sector restructures, and exploring a new TowerCo paradigm in Poland; Phoenix Towers’ European expansion ambitions; legal woes compound setbacks at SpaceMobile; plus plenty more…
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M&A
Cellnex seeks co-investor to support Polish NetCo strategy
European tower group ‘actively working’ on plan for part-sale of Cellnex Poland, generating funds to fuel transformation of the business into a more fully-fledged NetCo, with both RAN assets and passive infra.
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M&A
Phoenix Tower remains ‘opportunistic’ on buyouts post-BlackRock deal
TowerXchange Meetup Europe: CEO of wireless infra group says it remains “ready to go” on Europe M&A despite many tower rivals looking cowed amid the tighter financing environment. March’s completion of fresh investment by asset management behemoth BlackRock has given confidence to pursue further deal-making opportunities. Claims edge on “carrier captive” rivals. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
25G/50G slow-go: Openreach may hold out till 2030s on next-gen fibre tech
In depth report — two of the UK’s biggest fibre wholesalers have dampened expectations of imminent 25G and 50G PON upgrades, despite prep-work. Virgin Media O2-backed nexfibre sees no “imminent” case for commercial launch. Openreach also wants greater energy efficiency and to maximise older-gen GPON value extraction, with point-to-point eyed for enterprise. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Comms industry looks off-planet for next-gen networks
Non‑terrestrial network technology is set to be in demand as commercial space exploration gathers steam, while public‑private projects building a presence in space may provide additional benefits for Earth‑based connectivity.
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Network & Infrastructure
‘Stop the mud slinging’: DT’s Gopalan hammers German rivals’ fibre competition complaints
FTTH Conference 2024: Tensions spill over in Berlin on fibre leaders CEO panel, with competitors arguing over who and what is to blame for poor position in European league table on availability and penetration. Incumbent Srini Gopalan lambasts ‘rhetoric’, untruths, lying. Read much more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Liberty eyes network-sharing deals in a “couple of markets”
MWC: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says network-sharing holds potential as part of broader need for telcos to up their partnering game and “return to profitable growth”.
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Network & Infrastructure
AtlasEdge seeks role as UK C-RAN host
Director of Open RAN Paul Rhodes discusses plan to offer MNOs baseband capacity pooling as a way to deliver capex savings, reduced Scope 3 emissions, and support for new applications. However, scepticism around whether operators will adopt the architecture remains…
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Network & Infrastructure
Labour veers away from UK broadband nationalisation as Project Gigabit plods on
With a UK election expected within a year, the shadow digital minister backs infrastructure competition, and suggests Project Gigabit plans would be maintained by Labour, despite reservations.
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Eventwatch
UK's One Touch Switch debate erupts, with March 2024 deadline hanging in balance
INCA Conference 2023: Fiery panel discussion sees OTS platform questioned, accusations of ‘threatening’ behaviour, Ofcom deadline looming, exemplary punishment mooted, risk of altnets being cut off from opportunity to take market share with major ISP migrations…
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Strategy & Change
Virgin Media hits milestone in fibre-focused IT refresh
Execs highlight progress in digital refresh underpinning cableco’s transformative, twin-push into fibre infrastructure and wholesale business.
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Eventwatch
Project Gigabit draws criticism over voucher headaches and cross-regional contracts
INCA Conference 2023: see what “nightmare” is haunting altnet leaders within Project Gigabit; confusion over cross-regional contracts; and what new BDUK CEO has to say on it all…
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Interview
Interview: Orange Wholesale chief says hyperscalers, cloud, AI fundamentally changing subsea cable
In an exclusive interview with TelcoTitans, Michaël Trabbia, CEO of freshly-reconfigured €7.4bn Orange Wholesale, highlights how the transatlantic currently dominates strong subsea investment (Pacific, Africa also in the frame), with hyperscalers (except Apple) key drivers on major routes. And much more…
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Interview
TOTEM CEO eyes pole position in MNO network strategies
Network X: TOTEM CEO Nicolas Roy discusses the TowerCo’s industrial plans and strategic site ambitions.
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Operations
Orange restructures global wholesale operations
Michaël Trabbia launches restructured and enlarged Orange Wholesale.
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Interview
CEO 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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Eventwatch
American Tower eyes open RAN for ‘next-gen’ neutral host services
Infra giant performing PoCs with ORAN-equipped solutions that could address MNO demand for advanced urban and in-building services.
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Eventwatch
Telco buyers ponder challenges of a disaggregated, multi-vendor future
Speaking at Fyuz, BuyIn’s Elise Raffestin highlights growing complexity of procurement as vendors proliferate.
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Eventwatch
Interview: CityFibre strives to shift the dial on UK fibre safety standards
Connected Britain 2023: In an interview with TelcoTitans, Sarah Parsons, Director of Compliance at CityFibre, shares how the altnet is evolving its safety standards to keep pace with its fibre rollout, and how it collaborates with peers in the SHiFT group to compete to do better.