Latest Strategy News
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Public Affairs
Telefónica ‘switches gears’ on Spanish job cut scheme
Operator to implement ERE incentivised early-retirement plan for first time in eight years, with plan framed as necessary due to “functional excess” of workers. Unions already seeking protections for those affected. Move marks continuation of Spanish personnel cost-cutting drive.
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Strategy & Change
‘Ripping off the plaster’: BT braces for short-term pain to right long-term B2B wrongs
BT Business CEO Bas Burger warns that the division’s turnaround programme will be necessarily painful, with benefits only set to emerge after a difficult beginning.
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Events
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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Strategy & Change
Gupta comes out swinging as BT Business plots UK corporate renaissance
Jansen-anointed “chap called Ashish” is charged with reviving UK corporate and public sector business, and declares the unit ready to “return to good” and compete in an ultra-competitive market, with rivals including integrators Capgemini and ATOS in his sights as well as rival operators Vodafone and Virgin Media O2.
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Financial & Performance
‘We are changing’: Vodafone CEO Della Valle assures more improvement is coming in largest markets
H1 FY23–24: Vodafone reports a “solid start” to fiscal year as Margherita Della Valle sets about transformation effort, pitching new era of right-sized operations to restore operator to growth.
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Public Affairs
Telefónica to ‘firm up’ Spanish job cut plans with unions
Operator to negotiate new incentivised early-retirement plan with the UGT and CCOO, continuing its efforts to reduce personnel costs and simplify structurally.
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People
DT picks out new German finance chief
Telekom Deutschland makes a paired announcement of its new finance lead and MD of Sales and Service, while stressing its ongoing focus on digitalising the finance division (and others), improving customer satisfaction, and driving fibre deployment.
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Events
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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Network & Infrastructure
Della Valle defends cable’s customer potential against FTTP’s economics advantage
Vodafone chief downplays lower costs linked to FTTP, stressing that HFC-based networks can meet customer needs and support positive customer experience.
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M&A
BT eyes musicMagpie: flailing gadget marketplace offers circular economy, consumer tech boost
musicMagpie confirms “very early” talks with BT and private equity partner Aurelius as operator seeks to spin up circular economy credentials, stretch into consumer retail via New EE.
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone’s problem children: German remedial progress, Spain disowned, UK betroved, Italy seeks paramour
Vodafone Europe H1 FY23–24 insights, including Germany still needing to navigate TV exodus; regional organic growth; the happier story at remnant smaller markets; and more…
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Premium
Telefónica network API charge commences in Brazil; Spain next
Early steps in building Group’s new 2026 strategic revenue stream with Open Gateway network open APIs. Hyperscalers to be given no value quarter, but Chema Alonso’s bookselling business model suboptimal…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Germany’s Freenet eyes opportunities from O2’s 1&1 breakup
Freenet and O2 discuss forming closer bonds after challenger operator defects to Vodafone.
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Strategy & Change
Hungary’s 4iG to carve out infra assets as part of post-M&A tidyup
Expansive regional IT and telecoms player is to make a late entrance into European infra spinoff party as it seeks to optimise cost base and bring in capital to reduce debt.
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Strategy & Change
Liberty plans ‘to be active’ as Vodafone shareholder; holds ‘more strategic’ discussions
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says group “intends to be active” as a 5% Vodafone shareholder, taking advantage of Margherita Della Valle’s “more strategic” management at Vodafone HQ.
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M&A
Two down, one to go: Vodafone gets serious about M&A in Italy
H1 FY23–24: CEO Margherita Della Valle signals Italy is next in Group’s “right-sizing” initiative for struggling European markets as strategy in motion for Spain and UK.
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Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica targets 100m-premises fibre footprint by 2026
Mid-term strategy update sees Telefónica Infra and operating businesses handed twin mission of reaching nine-figure homes passed goal while also supporting the Group’s capex efficiency drive.
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Financial & Performance
A clean break from a broken market: Vodafone CEO welcomes Spanish retreat
Margherita Della Valle uses further deterioration of Vodafone Spain performance to prop up claims of a strategic vision in action, but distancing the Group from one of its erstwhile ‘core four’ markets continues to reflect poorly on historic turnaround attempts.
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M&A
‘Pragmatic’ Cellnex open to full exits to boost debt repayment drive
Spanish group’s exit from private networks business could be followed up by more deals, to boost programme of financial strengthening.