Joe Purnell
Joseph Purnell is BTwatch and Vodafonewatch Editor and a Senior Reporter at TelcoTitans, contributing telecoms news analysis since 2019 as part of the TelcoTitans Editorial team.
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M&AKenyan High Court rules to unwind Vodacom’s Safaricom takeover
Just months after celebrating taking control of Safaricom as a ‘defining moment’, Vodafone’s African arm now faces prospect of enforced €1.4bn deal unwind. From Midrand to London, execs must now confront complex balance-sheet unravelling and regulatory exposure.
B2BUK fibrecos gasping for air as Openreach discounts ‘take oxygen out of the system’
In-depth: Openreach’s wholesale discounting strategy has become the latest battleground in the UK fibre wars, with altnet leaders urging Ofcom to intervene more aggressively while the incumbent insists it is simply competing on price.
M&AUK: industry braced as nexfibre–Netomnia deal becomes referendum for fibre’s future
In-depth: £2bn deal dominated the keynote stage at Connected Britain, with rival executives abandoning diplomatic language and openly clashing ahead of a competition ruling that could determine shape of UK fibre’s next phase.
B2BUK ISPs remain in wait for One Touch Switching B2B variant
TOTSCo’s gaining provider-led business switching platform is ready, with funding and testing complete by BT, Sky, VM O2, and Vodafone — but a go-live date remains elusive.
Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: partners loaded for EMEA digital infra expansion
Analyst Briefing: capital-sharing partnerships in Turkey and Egypt, and a new co-owner at German fibreco OXG Glasfaser, bring Vodafone’s digital infra expansion strategy into the spotlight; plus VodafoneThree’s convergence push and 5G SA commercialisation bid, Czech innovation, and more across Europe and Africa…
Network & InfraWildanet joins fibreco multiplay push with TiVo
Open access: Latest UK challenger to broaden proposition in competition dogfight. TiVo/Freely UK-first advances natural evolution from broadband provider to multi-service operator. “Expect more from us”, commercial chief Simon Hughes tells TelcoTitans…
Network & InfraVodafone signs pair of data centre deals in $1bn AI bet on Egypt
Vodafone Egypt enters into potential $1bn data centre joint venture with Cassava Technologies and Elsewedy Electric, plus separate Cassava tie-up for NVIDIA-supported AI Factory collab.
InterviewFibrus sets sights on cashflow milestone as fibre build nears completion
Cumbria and Northern Ireland altnet passes capex peak, nears build completion, and turns focus more wholly to customer connections. TV add-on will support the push as Fibrus turns capex-intensive infra into cash flow.
Network & InfraVodafone Turkey triples budget for joint data centre project
A $100m investment has brought Vodafone Turkey’s new Izmir data centre online, and the ‘scalable’ facility is set to attract another $200m in the coming years to quintuple capacity and establish a ‘Mediterranean hub’.
Network & InfraVodafone sets out to ‘disrupt’ EE-backed ESN with critical infra network slicing
SuperMobile network slicing and prioritisation portfolio reaches B2B, and VodafoneThree lines up an Emergency Services Network challenge via an upcoming National Critical Slice…
Network & InfraVodafoneThree revs 5G SA engine with SuperMobile pitched as competitive edge
VodafoneThree has unveiled its national network slicing proposition, taking the challenge directly to BT/EE and working to monetise its massive network investment.
Products & ServicesVodafoneThree makes small screen debut with TV launch, as UK convergence battle intensifies
VodafoneThree has entered the UK TV market with platform designed to take challenge to BT/EE and Virgin Media O2 beyond connectivity. Whether it can crack the convergence code remains to be seen…
M&AOrange expands defence unit with private 5G platform acquisition
Orange looks to tap growing demand for ‘sovereign’ connectivity through the acquisition of Dome, a specialist private 5G platform serving defence and critical operations.
Network & InfraVodafone welcomes ‘committed funding’ of new German fibre partner
Patrick Drahi’s Altice has finally exited OXG Glasfaser, selling its 50% stake to Société Générale, underscoring Altice’s debt-reduction drive while reinforcing Vodafone’s long-term commitment to the OXG project.
Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: tower tensions, competitive pressures
Analyst Briefing: From tower disputes in Germany and spectrum obligations in Czechia to Digi’s continued disruption in Romania, Vodafone faces a mix of competitive pressure, policy shifts, and technology-led opportunities across its footprint…
Financial & PerformanceVantage Towers: German growth engine sputters on unresolved 1&1, Vodafone disputes
Germany has further cemented its position as Vantage Towers’ leading growth contributor, but is also becoming its biggest source of risk. Amidst existential challenges in other markets, disputes involving both 1&1 and anchor tenant Vodafone Deutschland threaten to cloud otherwise strong operational performance.
B2BVodafoneThree adds Tech Mahindra to growing ‘specialist partner’ ecosystem
Vodafone signs co-innovation and collaborative go-to-market deal with Indian conglomerate weeks after comparable TCS deal as it deepens its partner pool, chases UK B2B revival.
Financial & PerformanceDigi Romania ‘mature’ but ‘dynamic’ as it reaches mobile parity
Having drawn level with Orange and Vodafone, Digi Romania now wants to get its nose in front in the market’s three-horse mobile subs race.
Analyst BriefingBTwatch: 10G fibre and 5G slicing go live
Analyst Briefing: Openreach gears up for a ten million-premises XGS-PON rollout; EE puts consumer 5G into the fast lane with network slicing; and the Group’s ongoing legacy OSS cull produces automation and NaaS benefits…
Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: UK slump, Nordic bump
Analyst Briefing: Vodafone’s share of UK government spending drops, SpaceMobile uncertainty continues, and Telenor deal continues to expand. Elsewhere, network leadership changes in Europe and groundwork for infra-sharing in India…