All articles by Neal Doran
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Strategy & ChangeVodafone Portugal playbook: transforming telecom payments from utility to strategic differentiator
Case study explores how Vodafone Portugal partnered CMAS to overhaul legacy back office infra with w2bill streamlining workflows, securing sovereign data, accelerating time-to-market, and driving a thousandfold increase in monthly digital transactions.
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Public AffairsTAR: Ofcom eyes ‘problematic’ promotions as access review sets regulatory landscape
Telecoms Access Review released, setting the scene for the next five years of regulation in the UK’s fast-shifting fibre market. While not signalling any major change of course, likely pleasing incumbent Openreach, altnet take-up appears to be receiving more attention as a litmus of market health, offering a possible fillip to challengers.
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InterviewBattle scars and skin in the game: VOIS breaks out from Vodafone’s captive shared services
Deep dive: by stepping out of the shadow, the once-captive telco shared services business is rewriting the playbook for commercial enterprise ‘shared intelligence’ as a standalone powerhouse. With Accenture on side, and tapping Vodafone Business and others for go-to-market, leaders Gary Adey and Chris Meads tell TelcoTitans that VOIS is an increasingly ‘big lever’ for its parent to pull…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: DSIT lays out digital infra priorities; M&A gets real
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: government prioritises infra growth, Netomnia-nexfibre deal formalised, altnet lenders take the reins, and plenty more…
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Network & InfraGermany’s O2 brings AWS in-house with Outposts deployment
MWC26: Telefónica operating business said to be first in world to bring AWS‑managed hardware inside its own data centre perimeter, enabling lower‑latency and local data processing.
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EventwatchTrust me I’m a telco: sector insecurity seeps into MWC opener
MWC26: Telco CEOs take to the stage to warn of “unknown threats” and an emerging “Wild West” as the pace of technological change outpaces the rate that international operators, governments, and regulators can react…
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Network & InfraNetwork operators warned: kickstart automation now or risk devaluation
Amid intensifying market consolidation, network operators can ill afford to be found delaying automation. A new white paper from FNT Software and Inmanta argues for an incremental strategy, coupling unified inventory with intent-based orchestration. Discover how BICS and Freedom Fibre leverage this ‘living model’ to slash operational costs and accelerate time-to-market…
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Network & InfraFrom defence to attack: CSG’s blueprint for telco AI transformation
Interview: Telcos risk losing to nimbler rivals unless they accelerate AI readiness. CSG argues that operators must simplify legacy customer systems, speed service innovation, and nurture scalable ecosystems — or face losing strategically vital B2B growth opportunities whilst defending declining legacy markets. Learn more…
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Network & InfraBITÉ and brown-iposs: bridging the confidence gap for Level 5 RAN automation
Mobile network autonomy need no longer be framed as science fiction, but as an engineering discipline: validate inputs, expose decision logic, and quantify impact before changing the network. Baltic mobile group BITÉ’s RAN field test of brown‑iposs’s CARAT offers an instructive lens on what it really takes to operationalise Level 5 ambitions…
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InterviewBoldyn’s marathon man: Brendan O’Reilly on building ‘win‑win’ shared networks for the UK
Interview: Boldyn’s UK&I CEO draws lessons from Olympic‑grade collaboration to map a shared‑success playbook — revealing how long‑term partnerships are set to underpin the UK’s 5G and national digital infrastructure leap, and where everyone, from MNOs to local government, wins together.
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InterviewFix telco CPQ to accelerate B2B expansion
Interview: Telcos have spent years modernising, yet enterprise quoting remains stubbornly manual and error-prone. CSG’s Greg Tilton lays out why generic CPQ fails at scale — and how going telco-native can unlock speed, margin control, and serious B2B upside, as well as restore CFO confidence…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: CityFibre plans cuts; Netomnia deal nears; AI reaches Smart Cities
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: job cuts at CityFibre, KCOM and TalkTalk join Netomnia on the block, UK MNOs seek support for AI‑capable coverage, and plenty more…
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PeoplewatchNew era: BT, Openreach start ‘next chapter’ with fresh energy, familiar faces
CEO reshuffle in depth: a rising star reaches her zenith as Openreach CEO; a reliable hand gets called in to take BT International into next stage of transformation; and a global B2B boss bows out…
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AnalysisAI, edge and colo: Nokia’s Neutral Host Index redraws telecom’s $200bn shared-infra map
Market analysis: Nokia argues that ‘neutral host’ has outgrown its tower-and-RAN shorthand, setting out a broader, investment-led definition also spanning fibre, data centre, and network builders. The prize: a fast-rising revenue pool, increasingly amplified by AI’s infrastructure pull.
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M&Anexfibre set to win race for Netomnia — reports
Deep dive: Liberty/Telefónica‑backed netco said to be finalising a £2bn deal for UK’s #2 altnet, with confirmation as soon as this week… but what does it mean for nexfibre, VM O2, fibre rivals?
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Network & InfraMoving fast to fix things: how AI-driven network assurance is reshaping global telecoms
As telcos intensify their drive toward automation and autonomy, assurance becomes the cornerstone of transformation. Learn from North America’s pioneering migrations to Europe’s multi-OpCo transformations how AI-driven, data-centric OSS evolution is reshaping network reliability, service quality, and customer trust…
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Network & InfraClosing the reality gap: vHive now validating mobile towers in real-time, on-site
Interview: mobile network infrastructure plans rarely survive contact with reality, with equipment deviating from specifications in over one-third of sites. vHive CTO Tomer Daniel explains how bridging the digital-physical divide can prevent the industry’s “costliest chain reaction”, including safeguarding 5G performance and accelerating revenue recognition…
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone a “frontrunner” partner as Ericsson seeks new opportunities in “flattish” RAN market
In depth: Upbeat Ericsson management present FY25 earnings complete with organic growth and progress in efficiency programmes. CSPs said to be willing to invest despite muted RAN outlook, as Vodafone namechecked for its ‘physical AI’ groundwork…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: lenders steel for losses; altnets in chart success; ITS shows B2B potential
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including Gigaclear lenders take action, Netomnia and Toob lead altnets in Times tech list, EE updates on ESN, and plenty more…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: consolidation gathers steam; industrial Wi Fi expansion; KKR backs UK data centres
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: ‘aggressive’ new ownership at G.Network, Truespeed flirts with Freedom, GTR secures expansion war chest, and plenty more…