Latest Virgin Media O2 Insight
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Financial & PerformanceInfra investors line up for stake in Virgin Media O2’s new NetCo
Q1 FY24: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says Boston Consultancy Group and Deloitte hired for financial and project planning, as investors appear interested in fibre spin-out plans. Despite confidence in fibre growth opportunity, VM O2’s fixed customer base declined in an overall uneasy quarter for the operator…
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Spain’s telcos and TowerCos mull next steps, post-Orange-MÁSMÓVIL merger
Market dynamics continue to shift following Orange-MÁSMÓVIL merger completion, as Spanish government continues building stake in Group, while Cellnex addresses challenges of integrating Orange and MÁSMÓVIL’s networks. Elsewhere: Movistar extends AT&T Mexico capacity access deal; VM O2 said to eye up potential KCOM acquisition…
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M&AMerged Vodafone−Three ‘incentivised and able’ to ‘frustrate’, ‘harm’ BT — CMA
Merger-critical Competition & Markets Authority investigation is damning on logic and impact of combination, dubious of benefits. Network-sharing joint venture MBNL is at heart of concerns and may become a focus for any forthcoming ‘remedies’. Read more…
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: UK alt-fibre rallying cry, fixed value extraction, and 6G discipline
Leaders from across the Group converge at various industry events, highlighting key issues and challenges faced in B2B and fixed network segments. Elsewhere, continued O2 stakebuilding; people changes at fibre and tower JVs; Digi still undecided on roaming provider…
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PeopleTelefónica Peoplewatch: fresh leaders appointed at fibre and tower JVs
Virgin Media O2’s Cornerstone tower JV with Vodafone UK poaches new commercial and sales chief from Boldyn, Germany’s Unsere Grüne Glasfaser names new IT director, more from across the Telefónica ecosystem…
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Network & InfrastructureJob done on Scottish rural 4G initiative
Scottish 4G Infill programme wraps up after seven years.
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: squeezing value from investment, Lightning administration unpicked, SiFi lands in America
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including infra owners declaring if they’ve got it, they might as well use it; a Lightning‑quick insolvency resolution; the Welsh sector veteran bringing fibre to the US; people moves, and plenty more…
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Spain continues stakebuilding; Group gets bogged down with brand legals
Spanish government brings itself level with CriteriaCaixa as Telefónica’s largest shareholder, increasing stake (through SEPI) to 5%. Elsewhere, Group gets to working through ‘huge’ DT brand dispute file dump; Virgin Media O2 taps Starlink for rural connectivity boost; Group seeks to keep closer watch on AI impact…
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Network & Infrastructure25G/50G slow-go: Openreach may hold out till 2030s on next-gen fibre tech
In depth report — two of the UK’s biggest fibre wholesalers have dampened expectations of imminent 25G and 50G PON upgrades, despite prep-work. Virgin Media O2-backed nexfibre sees no “imminent” case for commercial launch. Openreach also wants greater energy efficiency and to maximise older-gen GPON value extraction, with point-to-point eyed for enterprise. Read more…
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Network & InfrastructureVirgin Media O2 turns to Starlink for UK rural boost
Operator to use low-Earth orbit backhaul in an effort to bolster its rural connectivity, as progress on meeting Shared Rural Network deadlines has lagged…
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Shareholder dance continues with growing Spanish flavour; O2 presses on with 5G experiments
Spanish banking foundation pops up as Telefónica top shareholder, as Spanish government seperately said to be seeking spot on board as it builds its own national interest stake. Elsewhere: O2 gets 5G projects on the move; refinancing in Peru; VM O2 resumes digital landline project…
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Network & InfrastructureMajor players in the frame as Project Gigabit mega-deals come into play
Altnets including Quickline, Wessex and Wildanet pick up BDUK contracts to reach rural homes, but the prospect of cross-regional deals for Openreach and VM O2 appears increasingly likely as another agreed deal is abandoned…
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Network & InfrastructureDSIT-funded masts go live as UK’s SRN plugs eco-credentials
The Shared Rural Network is gathering steam and tooting its horn as government cash finally begins to flow to remote 4G sites. SRN management are pushing an environmentally friendly purpose, and operators EE and VM O2 are vying to be seen as programme stars.
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Spanish state commences stake-build, German tower build amidst fibre woes, satellite hooha
Spain national interest card in play in strategic shareholder rejig reshuffle. Mobile network expansion in Germany, as fibre sector doubt viability of government’s long-term fibre deployment targets. Read more…
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Group wants bigger ownership (but smaller rights bill) in Germany
Group launches bid to take O2 Germany private, while local CTIO calls for renewal of soon-to-expire spectrum licences, rather than reauctioning. Telefónica makes finance-focused management changes across several functions. Telefónica, O2 UK to shell out £7m after judge admonished legal defence in Phones 4u legal case. Elsewhere: Telefónica Tech ...
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PeopleTelefónica Peoplewatch: tech leadership changes in TV, fixed, and Peru
March 2024 update: new CFO at newly merged digital innovatio unit, directors appointed to aid digitalisation efforts, nexfibre and Telxius gain key appointments, communications leadership at O2 Germany overhauled, ex-O2 Germany CEO joins board at IT service provider…
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M&ACMA concerned Vodafone-Three could access O2 and EE secrets
As expected, the UK merger is headed for tougher scrutiny in a longer investigation following an initial review by the Competition and Markets Authority.
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Weekly BriefingsTelefónicawatch Weekly: Group gets its infra in order post-MWC, FY23 results
Group exploring wholesale network access and infrastructure-sharing deals in Spain and the UK, while testing new mobile infra in the latter to drive efficiencies. Operator seeks to take O2 Germany private, while talks over fresh IT supplier deal and M&A reportedly roll on in its home market…
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InterviewNetomnia: capex inefficiency is blocking consolidation opportunity
Speaking to TelcoTitans, Netomnia founder and CEO Jeremy Chelot suggests too many altnets are banking on unachievable take-up goals, and that playing fast and loose with investor money has resulted in a block on viable valuations for consolidation.
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: fibre switching ‘hijacked’, Cellnex asset squeeze, CityFibre gets acquisitive
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including Netomnia’s takedown of Openreach and VM O2 on fibre switching delays; Cellnex plans for a future focused on delivering returns; fibre rollout progress in Europe and Latin America; and a potential spark for accelerated altnet consolidation in the UK.