All nexfibre articles
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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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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: UK alt-fibre rallying cry, fixed value extraction, and 6G discipline
Leaders from across the Group converge at various industry events, highlighting key issues and challenges faced in B2B and fixed network segments. Elsewhere, continued O2 stakebuilding; people changes at fibre and tower JVs; Digi still undecided on roaming provider…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: CEO Kirkby sets about transformation agenda, Openreach ramps up build
Latest from BT and its ecosystem of partners as Openreach takes “unapologetic” stance in the face of rollout criticism from challengers; CEO Allison Kirkby reportedly makes earnest moves to implement transformation agenda via consultancy appointment and Ireland shake-up; more from industry events in the UK and Europe…
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach targets 30m full-fibre premises, nexfibre calls for altnet ramp-up
At Connected North in Manchester, Openreach optimism was juxtaposed by altnet consternation about the state of the UK fibre market.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: squeezing value from investment, Lightning administration unpicked, SiFi lands in America
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including infra owners declaring if they’ve got it, they might as well use it; a Lightning‑quick insolvency resolution; the Welsh sector veteran bringing fibre to the US; people moves, and plenty more…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Spain continues stakebuilding; Group gets bogged down with brand legals
Spanish government brings itself level with CriteriaCaixa as Telefónica’s largest shareholder, increasing stake (through SEPI) to 5%. Elsewhere, Group gets to working through ‘huge’ DT brand dispute file dump; Virgin Media O2 taps Starlink for rural connectivity boost; Group seeks to keep closer watch on AI impact…
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Network & Infrastructure
25G/50G slow-go: Openreach may hold out till 2030s on next-gen fibre tech
In depth report — two of the UK’s biggest fibre wholesalers have dampened expectations of imminent 25G and 50G PON upgrades, despite prep-work. Virgin Media O2-backed nexfibre sees no “imminent” case for commercial launch. Openreach also wants greater energy efficiency and to maximise older-gen GPON value extraction, with point-to-point eyed for enterprise. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Major players in the frame as Project Gigabit mega-deals come into play
Altnets including Quickline, Wessex and Wildanet pick up BDUK contracts to reach rural homes, but the prospect of cross-regional deals for Openreach and VM O2 appears increasingly likely as another agreed deal is abandoned…
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People
Telefónica Peoplewatch: tech leadership changes in TV, fixed, and Peru
March 2024 update: new CFO at newly merged digital innovatio unit, directors appointed to aid digitalisation efforts, nexfibre and Telxius gain key appointments, communications leadership at O2 Germany overhauled, ex-O2 Germany CEO joins board at IT service provider…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: net-sharing, consolidation and deal-making in UK and Europe
Latest from the UK and Europe’s digital infra scene, including interviews and OpEds from Fibrus and nexfibre; big talk from Liberty’s CEO; and DigitalBridge’s Marc Ganzi teasing M&A to come. Plus much more from altnets, European infra players, and investors…
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Interview
Fibrus preps off-net retail expansion, asserts leadership in own footprint
CEO interview: having achieved FTTP leadership and segment-topping KPIs within own fibre footprint, altnet now challenging traditional incumbents on own turf. Northern Ireland a case study in high-penetration and how hyperlocal majorly disrupts network, ISP status quo…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Virgin Media O2 sows seeds for major strategy shift, while Group stays planted in court
NetCo creation, bolt-on sales initiatives and TalkTalk’s consumer acquistion rumours mark busy week in UK; long-running legal issues advance elsewhere; plus blockchain, eVTOL, energy, rail, fintech, and more…
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Opinion
nexfibre CEO: Sustainable competition in the UK fibre market is crucial to long-term growth and innovation
OpEd: Rajiv Datta, CEO of leading FibreCo (and £4.5bn InfraVia-Liberty Global-Telefónica JV) lays out manifesto for an open and future-proof UK fibre market, aspiring beyond the basics and connectivity doldrums to lift society and the digital economy. With nexfibre at forefront…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: billion-pound network investments, digital inclusivity, and French fibre M&A on the menu
VM O2 moves to forge UK NetCo/ServCo split in operations; associate nexfibre to remain separate, commits £1bn to 2024 build; Orange CEO suggests M&A still on agenda to expand domestic fibre footprint; TalkTalk in negotiations over wholesale arm sale; much more…
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Venturing & Investments
nexfibre readies billion-pound spend to snag second spot in UK fibre build race
£1bn to be pulled from funding pot as wholesale NetCo looks to identify as second in 2024’s UK fibre race, in terms of both additions and overall challenger build-out; confirmed remaining outside of VM O2 NetCo carve out…
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Financial & Performance
Virgin Media O2 rejigs spend plan and strategy as well of merger gains starts to dry up
UK operator seeks to put more fuel in its earnings tank through ‘incremental’ investments in customer experience, digital, fibre sales, and new products this year. Move comes amid wider, dramatic refresh of VM O2 business with the operator kicking off process of NetCo-ServCo split.
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Financial & Performance
Is CityFibre now #1 UK fibre altnet by revenue, take-up?
With take-up doubling, revenue exploding, build on target and positive EBITDA imminent, NetCo boasts 50+ ISP retail partners are selling two- or even three-times’ as many CityFibre connections than sourced from Openreach. Appears Community Fibre and Hyperoptic overtaken, M&A next up…
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M&A
Virgin Media O2 has ‘six or seven’ UK altnets on M&A radar
Operator looking at several altnets as acquisition targets, says parent Liberty’s CEO Mike Fries, who predicts UK will end up with “just two networks”.
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Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica targets 100m-premises fibre footprint by 2026
Mid-term strategy update sees Telefónica Infra and operating businesses handed twin mission of reaching nine-figure homes passed goal while also supporting the Group’s capex efficiency drive.
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Network & Infrastructure
nexfibre reiterates wholesale fibre ambitions, shares UK-wide build plans
VM O2 wholesale fibre cousin discloses 2024 footprint pipeline; confirms more than half a million premises RFS in year-one. Wholesale remains firmly on agenda, with M&A also on table…