Neal Doran
Neal Doran is a Senior Analyst for TelcoTitans. Neal's industry knowledge and experience as a telecoms analyst and writer spans three decades, and he has been a key part of TelcoTitan's Editorial team since 2001.
Contact info
Network & InfrastructureTPG preps for network innovation with 4G shift to Ericsson dual core
Ericsson hits another milestone in a long-running core network transformation programme for TPG, as the operator moves towards a containerised cloud-native setup.
Network & InfrastructureVodafone joins in accusations of strategic fibre overbuilding at DT
Vodafone Germany CEO claims his incumbent rival is driving “senseless excavating” and disrupting national fibre rollout through a lack of cooperation and intentional overbuilding.
Network & InfrastructureAWS and cloud evolution shows the way as operators pursue NaaS
Liberty Global puts NaaS opportunity at around $150bn by the end of the decade, but AWS CTO Ishwar Parulkar urges telcos to look beyond the money, nurture developer relationships, seek unified approach…
Network & InfrastructureLabour veers away from UK broadband nationalisation as Project Gigabit plods on
With a UK election expected within a year, the shadow digital minister backs infrastructure competition, and suggests Project Gigabit plans would be maintained by Labour, despite reservations.
Strategy & ChangeGupta 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.
Network & InfrastructureDella 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.
Partnerships & AlliancesAccenture stakes €150m in Vodafone’s commercialised shared services future
Vodafone extends Accenture ties to tee up commercialisation of _VOIS, with the vendor taking an equity stake along with providing talent and automation support.
Public AffairsPhones 4u trial: UK MNOs cleared of collusion; appeal possible
Tough ruling for administrators who bet tens of millions on winning vast damages with collusion claim. O2, EE, Vodafone and then-parents Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom and Orange may have dodged biggest hits, but reputational damage could linger. Read more on ruling, backstory, next…
Strategy & ChangeVodafone’s _VOIS sets transformation goals as identity develops in post-pandemic era
Transformation initiatives set to top the agenda after a period of focus on onboarding new talent in the midst of the COVID crisis.
Financial & PerformanceH1 FY23–24: BT Business trapped between ‘the old and the new’
Revenue steadies for Business, but EBITDA takes another dip as higher value legacy contracts expire and are yet to be replaced.
Vendor VoiceProdapt: Domain specialist service providers can help telcos go beyond opex reduction
Telcos should zoom out of their opex focus and pursue the top‑line improvement potential inherent in their networks with enterprise customers, believes Prodapt.
Suppliers & SCMSAP trumpets role in transformation gains at BT
ERP player SAP declared success for solution deployments fulfilling commitments made in a strategic partnership signed in 2019.
Network & InfrastructureVector Technologies: Telcos must own interoperability to leverage multi-vendor strategic benefits
Vector Technologies considers that to succeed in a fast-moving multi‑faceted market (incl. M&A), service providers need to create an interoperable multi‑vendor access environment that can adapt. The fundamental significance will ultimately prove itself in stability and customer experience benefits that will support business growth, the broadband SI believes.
Network & InfrastructureVodafone and Snam agree 5G deal as MPN market gathers steam
5G private network deal, described as one of Vodafone’s biggest in Europe, to see the operator deliver dedicated coverage for the natural gas company at 23 sites across Italy.
M&AVocus seeks debt partners to keep TPG bid rolling
Consortium of banks sought to fund acquisition of TPG’s non-consumer fibre business in what could be Australia’s biggest refinancing deal of the year.
Network & InfrastructureFuture is distributed for BT as cloud strategy evolves
As options multiply for positioning the compute power needed to deliver cloud-based applications, commercial aspects may be as important as latency or resilience in locating services in a hybrid world.
Public AffairsUK telecoms to follow financial sector with open data requirements
DSIT seeking to cut through confusion of converging connectivity options by requiring operators to share relevant usage data with customers, and potentially third parties.
M&AZegona eyes Vodafone Spain for reverse takeover deal
Virgin Media veterans consider returning to Spanish market after successful sale of strategic stake in Euskaltel in earlier market consolidation.
M&s warn of “terrible consequences” of Vodafone–Three “cartel” as security put in merger spotlight
MP disquiet on prospect of Chinese part-ownership of UK’s largest mobile network appears closely tied to union Unite’s ‘dossier’ outlining national security threat, as shadow of Huawei ban looms large.
PremiumOpenreach provides a square deal for BDUK
No sign of excess returns as government investment provides speed boost for rural areas.