Latest from Infrawatch
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Partnerships & AlliancesIridium highlights ‘strategic’ value of DT space link-up
Satellite operator emphasises its role as a “stable partner” for telcos navigating alliance options in the rapidly shifting New Sat landscape, following its recent tie-up with Deutsche Telekom on next-generation hybrid connectivity through the NTN Direct platform.
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PeopleVantage Towers poaches American Tower Germany boss to fill CEO vacancy
Former American Tower and DFMG exec Martin Bouchard will take over at Vantage Towers in May, becoming the fourth CEO in three years at the towerco…
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PeopleVodafone and BT veteran joins Boldyn board
Rob Shuter, former CEO at BT Enterprise and a veteran Vodafone fixer, has been added to Boldyn’s Board of Directors, with the neutral host player seeking to tap his finance and telecoms experience in decision-making…
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PeopleQuickline CEO departs in top-level leadership refresh
Rural-focused UK altnet appoints finance and transformation expert Mark Bowden as CEO, with Sean Royce moving to take on an advisory role. Quickline also draws from its ranks to name a new CFO…
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Venturing & InvestmentsEquinix ploughs £3.9bn into UK data centre build
International data centre operator acquires work-in-progress Hertfordshire site, with plans to develop more than 250MW of IT capacity in the future. Equinix’s move is the latest multibillion-pound investment in UK data centres, with several others seen in recent years…
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M&ANetomnia takeout rumours: first billion-dollar M&A for UK fibre?
Deep dive: Reports suggest Netomnia is in play, with cashed-up nexfibre/VM O2 and CityFibre tagged as frontrunners in the race to build a national fibre challenger to Openreach. TelcoTitans Infrawatch explores the backdrop, leading players (including Liberty Global and Telefónica), netco-servco dichotomy, and likeliest outcomes…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch Analyst Briefing: banks wobble, equity plays chicken, altnets play baddies
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: Voneus calls bankers’ bluff, INCA anticipates altnet dominance, nexfibre seeks consolidation jumpstart, and plenty more…
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Partnerships & AlliancesVirgin Media O2 ties with Starlink on direct-to-device services
Operator to launch its first direct-to-device satellite services in partnership with the US LEO constellation provider, deepening the pair’s existing relationship while seeking to keep pace with rivals already exploring the segment…
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Network & InfraHrvatski Telekom eyes mmWave to boost fibre + FWA infra strategy
In-depth: Deutsche Telekom-affiliated Croatian incumbent is expanding its tiered 5G fixed wireless access offerings, including with tests of mmWave, with the technology positioned as a key tool alongside satellite to bridge broadband gaps and prepare for copper switch-off…
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Strategy & ChangeIndus Towers ‘open’ to acquisitions as African expansion plans evolve
Indus Towers CEO Prachur Sah said inorganic moves “may be considered” to fuel the business’ African growth, although initial focus remains on organic build-out. The exec noted strategic plans in the region to differentiate from well-established rivals…
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Financial & PerformanceEquity vs debt: who blinks first in UK fibre consolidation showdown?
In-depth: While sector consolidation presents complexity for altnets seeking to evolve, challenges faced by financial backers invested through equity and loan facilities should not be underestimated.
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Strategy & ChangeUK’s Netomnia targets ISP giants with YouMobile MVNO
Fibre altnet and wannabe convergence player set to launch mobile by the end of the year, piggybacking on the VodafoneThree network. CFO Wil Wadsworth and CEO Jeremy Chelot have sights set on the UK’s FMC establishment…
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M&AJersey and Isle of Man telcos combine to drive scale
Operator Jersey Telecom partners with investment group CVC DIF to acquire the Isle of Man’s largest telco, aligning with its expansion strategy…
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Network & InfraSubsea cables: Vodafone heads ‘off beaten track’ as hyperscalers muscle in on mainstream
Capacity Europe 2025: Vodafone’s Head of Global Infrastructure Owen Bryant considers the role telcos should play in transcontinental infra links as hyperscalers investment billions into subsea infra. Vodafone, for its part, is focused on ‘red’ markets that lie outside Google and Meta’s core interests…
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PeopleBoldyn CEO Leprince bids farewell to neutral host player
Leprince signals departure plan in a move described as a “highly emotional decision”, as he reflected on Boldyn’s transformation and accomplishments during his tenure. Search for successor kicked-off.
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PeopleTelefónica rejigs team to break new trail on infra
Chief Executive of Telefónica Infra to leave after six years in role, giving the Spanish group a new setup to push through a change in approach on management and ownership of fibre assets. Politically connected Board Director takes on the challenge…
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InterviewINCA CEO: ‘job done’ when altnets join Openreach as industry ‘baddies’
INCA Summit 2025: With consolidation looming and the next Telecoms Access Review on the horizon, the UK’s fibre landscape is at a tipping point. Altnets, however, are still reeling from (pantomime) villain Openreach’s latest pricing initiative, with disappointment at Ofcom inertia, and suspicion the incumbent is testing what it can get away with…
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InterviewVoneus ‘plays chicken’ with banks and secures new funding
INCA Summit 2025: Macquarie and Voneus director Oliver Bradley indicates terms were renegotiated on Voneus’s existing £70m debt facility, and stakeholders injected further funds to secure the altnet’s future.
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PeopleMiddle East’s TASC Towers names new CEO as Ooredoo deal nears closure
Zain strategy chief Kamil Hilali replaces Iyad Mazhar as CEO of the MENA-focused towerco, and in doing so is in line to lead it into a new phase of expansion following the purchase of Ooredoo’s wireless infra portfolio…
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Network & InfraOrange’s Trabbia: telcos need a DNA switch to meet resiliency challenge
Network X: The CEO of Orange Wholesale sees asset ownership and network software-isation as core principles underpinning future network resilience and strategic independence in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment.