More on EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 33
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone Germany to lose half of TV customer base as new tenant laws take effect
Vodafone’s largest and last standalone European market braces for a slump in performance this year while revamping operations in an attempt to revive growth. Tenant bundling law change set to accelerate longer term trend of customer losses at misfiring major OpCo.
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone CFO open to another Vantage Towers sell-down
Luka Mucic uses Group’s FY23−24 earnings call to tease further Vantage Towers sell-down, pitching TowerCo disposal as evidence of value-creating potential for new Vodafone Investments division. Exposure has been reduced in India, while VodafoneZiggo will stay in the family…
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Network & Infrastructure
German operators respond cautiously to BNetzA’s proposed spectrum auction compromise
Three existing MNOs, which have been loudly complaining over spectrum access cost burden, would pay just under €600m for five-year rights extension under new BNetzA proposals.
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Financial & Performance
Vodacom parries ‘big knocks’ as it battles for growth
Vodacom CEO Joosub focuses on the big picture and promises digital services-driven future growth as macroeconomic headwinds take the gloss off the Group’s FY23-24 performance, and low earnings hit the dividend.
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M&A
Greece’s OTE says talk of tower sale ‘premature’
National telco reiterates interest in wireless infra spin-out, to trim down the costs of managing wireless infra and boost share price.
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Operations
Openreach opens ‘snazzy’ new City HQ
BT’s access services business has moved its HQ to a new site in London, closing out a tenure at ‘tired’ King’s Cross offices.
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Public Affairs
Deutsche Telekom workers stage strike ahead of ‘decisive’ pay talks
German union organises two days of industrial action to set scene for a fourth round of negotiations on wage increases.
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Innovation (R&D)
UKTIN: Why collaboration is key to driving investment in R&D for the telecoms sector
OpEd: Jon Hunt, Project Board Member at the UK Telecoms Innovation Network, sees potential easing of M&A regulation in Europe as opening a path for telcos to improve collaboration, R&D and funding efforts on an international scale, including with academia and Big Tech. Read more…
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Content & TV
Virgin Media O2 taps Amdocs for TV streaming upgrade
UK major to integrate Subscription Marketplace solution into existing content streaming and TV offering. Move builds on prior relationship with Amdocs, and wider engagement with Telefónica Group outside of the content streaming sphere…
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M&A
Vodafone−Three welcome deal’s security clearance as focus turns to antitrust
UK government green-lights merger (with caveats) after conducting security review, but Vodafone−Three are far from celebrating as the CMA’s investigation steps up a gear and leaves consolidation in doubt…
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Financial & Performance
Safaricom dials down Ethiopia spending plan as loss drags Group profits
FY23–24: Safaricom slashes five-year investment target for Ethiopia, commits to tightened spend to weather challenging macro environment, but remains positive on progress and outlook.
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People
BT Peoplewatch: as Kirkby ups the transformational ante, ex-CEO Patterson goes boardroom ‘goliath’
40+ senior/strategic appointments across BT Group, including: new CEO Allison Kirkby making mark with more transformation-focused imports; ex-CEO Gavin Patterson makes it boardroom berth number-eight; and major changes at revamped BT Business. Fibre build remains priority at Openreach, while Consumer beds in fresh device and marketing leadership. Read more…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica signs fresh Digi Spain wholesale deal
Group appears to have achieved its objective of a win‑win deal that allows it retain Digi as a network client, and is set to be completed in weeks.
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Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica misses deadline on copper shutdown
Q1 FY24: Group remains at work, switching off retail copper lines in Spain, having missed initial April 2024 target. Effort to replace legacy lines drives increase in capex in first three months of the year. Vilá highlights operational benefits expected…
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Financial & Performance
1&1 continues to push back against calls for German auction rethink
German challenger is at odds with established MNO rivals over how to allocate soon‑to‑expire spectrum rights.
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Network & Infrastructure
Four years in the making: O2 Germany activates cloud-based 5G core
Telefónica’s German operating business takes Nokia-AWS 5G cloud core to first million subscribers. Seen especially benefitting 5G standalone use cases…
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People
BT adds transformation expertise to board, seeks out ‘operational resilience’
Ex-Barclays finance chief Tushar Morzaria appointed to BT Board of Directors, with Chairman Adam Crozier lauding ‘corporate change’ specialism and adding further transformation expertise to the BT boardroom.
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Network & Infrastructure
German telcos expand 4G coverage on Berlin’s U-Bahn
O2 Germany, Telekom Deutschland, and Vodafone Germany extend 4G subway network to cover all nine lines and 175 stations. 5G upgrade already in the works, as operators aim to meet Germany’s wider coverage targets along transportation corridors. Read more…
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Financial & Performance
Infra 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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Consumer (B2C)
EE’s £6m bricks-and-mortar retail investment brings more customers, better connections
EE’s newest Experience store opened in Bristol, with nine more to follow in the next year as part of £6m retail investment.