All articles by Joseph Purnell – Page 13
-
Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: less tech, more outcomes for BT’s consumer and procurement teams
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including calls from Consumer’s Kevin Lee to ‘forget the jargon’ and Chief Procurement Officer Cyril Pourrat on the centrality of AI to the future of buying. Infrastructure sharing in focus at Openreach; network executives exit; and Rivus folds after BT takes business elsewhere…
-
Network & Infrastructure
Openreach initiates infra-sharing crackdown as altnets told to get compliant
So-called ‘whereabouts’ compliance must reach 90% for altnets to avoid potential eviction from Openreach networks, with three-month grace period before any action taken. Altnets also unhappy with current failings, and investors wary of compliance weakness. Read more…
-
Suppliers & SCM
Battle of the bots: BT and Vodafone procurement chiefs forecast AI-driven buying
BT’s Cyril Pourrat and Vodafone’s Ninian Wilson discuss future of procurement, with AI at the core and negotiation bots taking on each other as tech matures. Read more…
-
People
BT Peoplewatch: network architects, private cloud gurus, convergence charge
Several high-profile and strategic changes at BT Group, including a new Chief Architect; a fresh face to tackle the consumer convergence sticking point; and an executive exit in India as the Group talks up its presence in the subcontinent…
-
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: transforming CTOs call for telco-vendor relationship rework
Latest from Vodafone and its network of partners and interests, including: CTO Scott Petty joins peers to call for telco-vendor relationship rethink; a TowerCo stake sell-down as Vodafone looks to cut Vi debts; and executive newcomers at Vodafone Business…
-
People
From magenta to red: ex-DT boss Rickmann named Vodafone B2B chief
Hagen Rickmann, Telekom Deutschland’s business customer MD until last year, will join Vodafone to lead corporate customers across Europe.
-
Financial & Performance
Fleet manager Rivus folds and sells up after losing BT contract
Rivus, BT’s former fleet services provider and 2019 divestment, brings in administrators before selling up to new largest customer.
-
Public Affairs
nexfibre joins calls to tighten Openreach infra choker, ensure lasting UK fibre competition
UK fibre wholesaler calls for new and improved regulation to provide platform for altnet competition as attention turns to Ofcom’s next five-year framework. Echoes broad consensus among INCA members that more could be done to limit Openreach dominance, encourage altnet investment…
-
People
Vodafone Peoplewatch: Business exec changes in Africa, Europe
30+ senior/strategic changes, including: new B2B chiefs in Africa and Europe; new CFO in Greece creates opening in Czechia; and Partner Markets changes reflecting deals in central Asia and the Middle East. Plus lots more significant changes at European OpCos, Investments companies, and Group HQ…
-
Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Kirkby earns Slim’s approval; Mehta ratchets transformation agenda
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including Slim-affiliated investment and Kirkby priorities for asset monetisation. At DTW24, BT execs promoting transformation progress and shift to ‘platform thinking’ — also developments in innovation productivity, autonomous networks, quantum internet, ServiceNow integration, more…
-
Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone extends NETSCOUT deal to evolve ‘hybrid’ network
Vodafone hands NETSCOUT another contract for network visibility and monitoring tech, covering European hybrid network environment, including 5G SA deployments.
-
People
Campbell McClean steps up as BT’s new Chief Architect
Well-travelled Campbell McClean of DT, Airtel, Telefónica, and Orange fame takes Chief Architect posting at BT Group.
-
M&A
Vodafone sells another €1.7bn of Indus shares
Vodafone sells 18% stake in Indian TowerCo to repay debts of other Indian assets.
-
Strategy & Change
Allera, Mehta team up to bridge BT’s digital divide, drive ‘platform-thinking’
DTW24 – Ignite: Chief Digital & Innovation Officer Harmeen Mehta joined on-stage by Consumer CEO Marc Allera to hype transformation advances as Digital overhaul impacts EE platform-building.
-
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: subcontinental drift continues with Vi equity offer and Indus rumours
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including an equity proposal to Ericsson and Nokia in India, and news of a potential Indus Towers stake sale to boot as Vodafone continues to ratchet down its presence in the subcontinent. UK merger faces more backlash from rivals; Partner Markets welcomes newcomer; 2Africa subsea cable reaches British shores; plus more from Germany, Ireland, Ethiopia, beyond…
-
M&A
UK fibre M&A ‘easy’ (compared to challenges of compatibility, integration, compliance)
Challenger leaders at INCA gathering call out lack of industry standards as key obstacle to more M&A. Integration and migration are costly and complex, making compatibility a consideration for prospective buyers. Compliance also increasingly important in valuations. More positive is XGS-PON embrace, deemed a “damn fine standard for a starting place”, but beware legacy tech. Learn more…
-
Financial & Performance
Vi offers equity to Ericsson, Nokia in latest fundraise bid
Equity sale to vendors will take total equity issued in past few months to INR 240bn, putting Vi on track to raise enough funds to pursue 4G/5G rollout aspirations.
-
Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone returns to Azerbaijan with new Partner Markets deal
Group enlists Azerconnect to Partner Markets roster in a return to Azerbaijan after eleven years.
-
Strategy & Change
BT CEO prioritises scale as asset monetisation talks re-emerge
As BT considers options for BT Global, where scale was never achieved, CEO Allison Kirkby will use the same measure in discussions about potential portfolio changes elsewhere.
-
Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: policy in focus as BT execs make the General Election rounds
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including discussions of a political nature from a handful of senior Group leaders in the build up to the UK’s General Election. The future of TV, planning policy for network expansion, and the need for pro-innovation and investment changes all earned a mention…