All articles by Neal Doran
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Network & InfraVodafone breaks out of PoC jail with autonomous networks ‘killer app’
DTW Ignite: Vodafone and Google Cloud are pushing beyond proof-of-concept theatre, setting out a ‘pragmatic’ blueprint for closed-loop operations where digital twins help build the trust required for real-world network autonomy.
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Strategy & ChangeUtility Warehouse eyes broadband and mobile opportunities as it chases convergence
In depth: Multi-play broadband and utilities provider unveils a five-year plan to drive up mobile, broadband, and insurance, while tapping an AI commercial opportunity. UW may be a litmus test as UK altnets develop retail strategies to go beyond connectivity…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: DSIT pictures satellite success as AI snags Ofcom attention
Analyst Briefing: nexfibre looks beyond ‘cornershop’ fibre; Ofcom rethinks AI, mobile quality, and spectrum policy; more altnet sale rumours; plenty more…
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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.
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Strategy & ChangeCapita: rewired for agentic AI, and inviting telcos onboard
Interview: With hyperscaler alumni now at the helm and Snowflake Intelligence embedded in its AI Catalyst Stack, Capita is betting that agentic will redraw the economics of the contact centre. Chief AI & Product Officer Sameer Vuyyuru explains why telcos should be watching closely.
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: Digi lands; CityFibre dials back; BT targets regional altnets
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: a European budget challenger emerges in UK, BDUK adjusts to a revised fibre market reality, more rumours of regional player consolidation, and plenty more…
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Strategy & ChangeFrom danger zone to digital powerhouse: Kearney maps Europe’s path to telecom recovery
Analysis: Europe’s telecoms sector has built extensively but failed to monetise, risking stagnation without urgent structural intervention. Kearney’s comprehensive diagnostic guides on how regionalisation, network resilience, strategic private finance partnerships, and other remedies can revitalise the sector’s finances and the continent’s digital economy.
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Financial & PerformanceFighting fibre with fibre: BT Consumer goes hyper-local in counter-attack against challengers
FY25–26: BT CEO Kirkby trumpets a marginal return to broadband customer growth as an early sign of a Consumer comeback.
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Network & InfraThe network autonomy dividend (when telcos replace tech milestones with business outcomes)
Are theoretical autonomy frameworks distracting telcos from real business results? Vodafone, Elisa, Telenor and Mavenir leaders are shifting the industry narrative from operational efficiency to scalable, intent-based revenue generation…
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Network & InfraFrom flying blind to found revenue: digital twins ‘digitise the handshake’ of complex telecom infra
“Time kills deals”: senior infra figures from SBA, Vertical Bridge, Singtel‑owned NCS and digital‑twin specialist vHive argue that the next productivity unlock for cell towers lies in closing the reality gap between site and system — and that the first movers will dictate how the new order works…
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Financial & PerformanceLeading by example: Vodafone CEO frames UK integration as blueprint for future market evolution
FY25–26: Margherita Della Valle pitches the instant impact of the VodafoneThree merger as a driver for UK growth, improved financial performance, and a route to win in a tough competitive environment — but a muted end to FY25–26 tempers optimism, as pre-merger headaches persist.
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: Chelot’s ‘Plan B’; Boldyn’s new underground deal; all change at AllPoints
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, as Netomnia’s Chelot talks nexfibre merger plans, wireless infra players thrive, APFN under new management, and plenty more…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: OpenAI infra platform stalls; £1bn altnet haircuts; Gamma growth plans
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: signs of trouble for UK data centre build plans, investors bite the bullet on altnet valuations, Gamma plans for future as acquisition rumours build, and plenty more…
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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…
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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…