All Mike Fries articles
-
M&AVodafoneZiggo secures tower sale ahead of spin-off
Dutch towers offloaded to private investors as Liberty Global closes in on Benelux spin off, while DigitalBridge eyes creation of “new, independent” Benelux platform.
-
Venturing & InvestmentsLiberty gets creative in push into AI
Telco group’s corporate venturing arm adds content generation scaleup to its growing AI investment stable.
-
Financial & PerformanceLiberty’s Fries foresees second Sunrise as Ziggo spinout races ahead
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries sees tailwinds for European telecoms business, floats potential for fast completion of restructuring, and anticipates materially higher-than-expected synergies as VodafoneZiggo joins Telenet for Benelux grouping, replicating perceived successes of Sunrise spin-out in 2024.
-
Financial & PerformanceVirgin Media O2 mulls cost cuts to protect cash flow and reduce leverage
As UK broadband competition continues to bite, Virgin Media O2 is considering enacting a major savings push as part of the next phase of its business turnaround strategy. Consideration of cutbacks follows recently announced cost-cutting programmes at sister businesses in Germany and Spain, accompanied by large-scale job losses.
-
M&ALiberty Blume bulks up with rights management acquisition as it expands UK infra horizons
Liberty’s Blume is stepping into energy, water, and construction to add to its telecoms heartlands with CLM takeover, positioning itself to capture a larger share of the UK’s infrastructure investment boom.
-
Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: marking UK MOCN milestones
Analyst Briefing: VodafoneThree makes network integration strides in the UK; Oz MOCN underpins TPG confidence in Vodafone’s return; and the Group signs wholesale deals in largest markets to monetise existing infra assets. More from across Europe, Africa, beyond…
-
M&Anexfibre’s Datta: ‘corner shop fibre’ is dead, the UK needs an infra megamart
Interview: proposed £2bn acquisition of Netomnia is sparking fierce debate across the UK broadband sector. With industry heavyweights trading blows over duopoly fears and infrastructure overlap, discover why CEO Rajiv Datta believes this consolidation is crucial to challenging Openreach.
-
Partnerships & AlliancesProximus, Telenet firm up Belgian fibre-sharing pact
Belgian duo firm up long-awaited fibre collaboration to help accelerate rollout while dodging overbuild. Deal marks milestone in national telcos’ work to strengthen the country’s lagging FTTP coverage relative to European neighbours…
-
Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: CityFibre questions nexfibre maths; data centres earn investment boost
Analyst Briefing: Exclusive first interview with CityFibre CEO as altnet and peers prepare for life under new TAR rules; NScale backed for UK growth; Starlink reliance prompts worries; and plenty more…
-
Analyst BriefingTelefónicawatch: Murtra remains defiant of short-termism
Analyst Briefing: Round-up of developments at Spanish incumbent, as Exec Chair Marc Murtra asserts longevity of his “comprehensive” transformation plan, amid market scepticism, and the operator secures a series of deals around fibre consolidation, B2B services, and internal efficiency. Read more…
-
M&ALiberty’s Fries dismisses CityFibre ‘sour grapes’ over £2bn nexfibre bulk-up
UK altnet tensions continue to heighten over the competitive implications of planned acquisition of Substantial Group, as Liberty Global CEO hits back at CityFibre over calls for in-depth CMA inquiry.
-
Network & InfraVodafone Germany adds tech partners to drive cable upgrades
German OpCo works with Huber+Suhner and Aurora Networks to support efforts to tap traditional cable stronghold, with fibre playing a supporting role.
-
InterviewIrrational and anti-competitive: CityFibre CEO urges CMA scrutiny of nexfibre-Netomnia-VM O2 consolidation play
Exclusive: In his first interview as CEO, Simon Holden unpacks Ofcom’s TAR framework and why the Competition and Markets Authority must intervene in the contentious £2bn nexfibre–Netomnia merger to protect infrastructure competition and prevent re-emergence of duopoly stagnation.
-
PeoplewatchLiberty plucks exec from TopSource to lead B2B services expansion
Ian Larkin recruited from HR service provider to become first CEO of new outsourcing unit Liberty Blume.
-
M&AUK’s nexfibre goes big, gets Substantial
Deep dive: nexfibre’s planned takeover of Substantial Group, parent of infra rival Netomnia, is the UK’s first billion pound-plus fibre altnet transaction and may open the floodgates to long-anticipated consolidation in the fragmented, scale-hungry sector. Chief Executive Rajiv Datta speaks to TelcoTitans about how the deal boosts its challenge to incumbent Openreach on wholesale fibre.
-
M&AVodafone pulls out of Netherlands as Liberty takes control
In depth: Liberty Global will take full control of VodafoneZiggo en route to a Sunrise‑style spin‑out of a new Benelux entity, while Vodafone steps back with a minority holdco stake in its latest European portfolio reshaping…
-
PeoplewatchTelefónica Peoplewatch: McKinsey exec tasked with mining Murtra’s ‘diamonds’
The latest strategic and senior changes at Telefónica, including news of a hire from consultancy McKinsey to lead a refreshed skills development push, as part of the Group’s new strategy, and changes of leadership at Telefónica Infra, the UK’s giffgaff, and in German wholesale.
-
Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: satellite deals, towers sales
Latest Vodafone Analyst Briefing: including moves in satellite and direct-to-device; a progress report from VodafoneZiggo on performance and a planned wireless infra divestment; installation of a new CEO at Vantage Towers; and more share price volatility at Vi…
-
M&ALiberty, Vodafone begin sale of Dutch towers
Liberty Global Q3: operator confirms sale of VodafoneZiggo’s masts is underway, with Mike Fries earlier confirming “alignment” on the issue with co-parent Vodafone Group. Divestiture one part of wider monetisation and deleveraging efforts across the Liberty portfolio…
-
Financial & PerformanceVodafoneZiggo facing ‘uncertain journey’, but turnaround path beginning to emerge
Liberty Global Q3: VodafoneZiggo boss Stephen van Rooyen expresses caveated confidence over his masterplan to put the Dutch operator on the road to a turnaround, but not everything is under his control…