All articles by Joe Purnell – Page 6
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Financial & PerformanceVodacom’s IoT bet ‘still in startup’ seven years in
Group CEO Shameel Joosub says IoT.nxt is yet to break even, but producing confidence-inspiring results and (modestly) contributing to Vodacom’s ‘beyond mobile’ expansion.
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OperationsVodafone adds to Amdocs tie-in with Irish network planning upgrade
Contract extends deeper into Europe via network inventory modernisation rollout, part of a broader push to streamline Vodafone network operations across the footprint.
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch: filling out the B2B shop window
Analyst Briefing: as BT makes a return for consumers, BT’s B2B brand has got to work itself: nationwide slicing in the UK, and a new unified comms platform and STACKIT integration overseas. Elsewhere, a warning on sovereignty regulation from Colin Bannon, rival Vodafone’s UK bulk-up, and a quantum R&D milestone…
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Strategy & ChangeArch-disruptor Digi teases UK landfall — is £15 fibre here to stay?
In depth: expansive Romanian telco disruptor teases ultra-low pricing that has shaken up EU markets and now threatens to redraw UK fibre market’s economics and put further pressure on already fragile altnet ARPU… next stop mobile?
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Financial & PerformanceVodacom seeks African fibre synergies with SA to lead the way
FY25–26: Vodacom is looking to scale its fibre footprint, leveraging M&A-boosted South African strengths to propel expansion in Kenya and Tanzania…
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Financial & PerformanceVodafone faces volume trade-off in latest Germany turnaround attempt
FY25–26: Group CEO Margherita Della Valle defends value-over-volume play as Germany OpCo closes in on a turnaround, of sorts, despite persistent customer losses and further earnings decline forecast.
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Financial & PerformanceSafaricom Ethiopia moves ‘from startup to scale’ with breakeven in touching distance
Ethiopian operator is entering its scale-up phase, with rapid revenue growth, losses falling, and investment slowing to put EBITDA breakeven within sights…
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Financial & PerformanceSafaricom shrugs off M-PESA carve-out talk as m-money closes in on connectivity
CEO Peter Ndegwa dismisses recurring talk of an m-money spin-off as M-PESA closes in on traditional Connectivity Business revenue. Further integration on the cards, he says, to leverage strengths of each…
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Network & InfraBT to launch ‘nationwide’ network slicing for consumer and enterprise
BT will offer network slices later this year as it positions 5G SA as a monetisation engine, building on early use-case validation.
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Consumer (B2C)BT shifts ‘from build to brand’ as it leans back into heritage
CEO Allison Kirkby has ‘relaunched’ the consumer BT marque three years after it was sidelined, with a return to mobile and a renewed focus on the operator’s ‘most loyal’ customer base.
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone puts AI-powered procurement engine on the road to autonomous buying
In-depth: Vodafone Procure & Connect updates on its two-year GenAI-led procurement overhaul, with a partner-powered platform adopted at scale and delivering tangible results. More to come, including a potential platform export, as telco buying settles into its ‘third wave’…
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PeoplewatchVodafone Peoplewatch: Birla back in Vi chair after gov dues relief
May 2026 update: 20+ changes including a Vi boardroom switch following levy relief; entrance of a new Enterprise chief in Kenya; network operations leadership change in Europe; Vodafone welcoming a former BT Group strategy principal; and OneApp architect brought inhouse from Celfocus…
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Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: back to M&A as early UK signals inspire confidence
Analyst Briefing: Full takeover of VodafoneThree imminent after management heralds ‘remarkable’ integration progress; INWIT thought to be weighing an acquisition of its own in diversification bid; India’s Vi earns government dues reprieve; One NZ re-ups Vodafone ties; Group readies to publish FY earnings…
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M&AVodafone bulks up with £4.3bn UK buyout
Group says ‘time is right’ to move on VodafoneThree less than a year after combining, buying out CK Hutchison and bulking up in its home market. Management cites progress on synergies, but jury’s out on ‘success’ of merged operator eleven months in…
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Financial & PerformanceVi secures government dues breather as attention turns to infra investment
Vodafone-backed Indian operator confirms AGR liabilities slashed by a quarter to ease debt burden and offer some relief for the challenged MNO as it invests in significant 4G/5G expansion.
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PeoplewatchBT Peoplewatch: stores, service ops, and security reshuffles
April 2026 edition: another veteran networks research Fellow leaves BT; Openreach fills out CX and regional Service Operations teams; bricks-and-mortar stores get a new director; Ian Cheshire lined up for Ofcom chairmanship…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch: the return of budget mobile?
Analyst Briefing: reports emerge that BT is preparing a consumer reversal, re-entering the no-frills mobile space and re-energising the BT brand. Elsewhere, Business CTO Colin Bannon makes a rare plea for more regulation; and Ofcom opens a compliance investigation…
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Strategy & ChangeBT: UK’s regulatory ‘Wild West’ presents barrier to sovereignty investment
FutureNet World: Business CTO Colin Bannon makes rare call for greater regulation to remove sovereign platform investment barriers and warns that end-to-end technical sovereignty is unrealistic and misguided.
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M&AINWIT may turn to data centres as tower stronghold gets rattled
Italian towerco said to be preparing €100m bid for Wind Tre digital infra assets amid turbulence in its traditional towers business…
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Financial & PerformanceEuropean fibrecos warned of ‘enormous’ 2027 debt crunch
Europe’s fibre industry is heading into a critical two-year period with half of all fibreco debt due, warns ING’s Jeroen Kleinjan. Rising geopolitical tensions and fears over inflation and competition from other digital infra asset classes could hinder altnets’ ability to overcome a looming ‘refinancing wall’.