All Political articles
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M&ATelcos welcome ‘long overdue’ EC draft merger guidelines
Telcos now have the opportunity to provide informed feedback as the long‑awaited draft on European Union merger guidelines is published.
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Financial & PerformanceVi secures government dues breather as attention turns to infra investment
Vodafone-backed Indian operator confirms AGR liabilities slashed by a quarter to ease debt burden and offer some relief for the challenged MNO as it invests in significant 4G/5G expansion.
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Strategy & ChangeBT: UK’s regulatory ‘Wild West’ presents barrier to sovereignty investment
FutureNet World: Business CTO Colin Bannon makes rare call for greater regulation to remove sovereign platform investment barriers and warns that end-to-end technical sovereignty is unrealistic and misguided.
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Financial & PerformanceEuropean fibrecos warned of ‘enormous’ 2027 debt crunch
Europe’s fibre industry is heading into a critical two-year period with half of all fibreco debt due, warns ING’s Jeroen Kleinjan. Rising geopolitical tensions and fears over inflation and competition from other digital infra asset classes could hinder altnets’ ability to overcome a looming ‘refinancing wall’.
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InterviewChelot: wholesale scale is ‘mission impossible’ without nexfibre-Netomnia deal
Interview: “I have a wholesale platform, but I have no wholesale customers”. Jeremy Chelot’s Netomnia hit a structural ceiling, with bowing out the only way to progress the Openreach challenge. Firing back at nexfibre deal critics, he asks for alternatives to his Plan B, deeming consolidation the best route and reflecting on the challenge of leading a business through a sale.
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M&AOrange’s Heydemann is confident on new SFR takeover bid
CEO of French incumbent is hoping for a positive response to its second bid for assets from distressed rival SFR, alongside Bouygues and Iliad. As well as dangling a higher, €20bn+ offer in front of seller Altice, she notes a change to the deal’s structure would help the French trio mitigate some execution risk. She also remains confident of the case for consolidation.
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Strategy & ChangeDeutsche Telekom said to explore T-Mobile mega-meld
Group’s leadership said to be weighing a full combination between it and its American powerhouse, thus sorting out current disconnects that could complicate future deal-making and strategy. Shepherding any such deal through the corridors of Washington, Berlin, and Brussels would be highly challenging, however.
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M&A‘Loosen the leash’: Telefónica’s Murtra repeats call for telco M&A rethink
MWC26: Spanish group’s Executive Chairman Marc Murtra again urges European regulators to loosen the shackles on telco deal-making.
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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 & InfraEnter SatCo: Vodafone raises curtain on European D2D branding, management
Branding, management, and governance unveiled as Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile take another step towards direct-to-device services launch in Europe. ‘We’re here to complement, not compete’ is the message from leadership, as satco takes on ‘operator-led’ model…
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Network & InfraWhat will it take to get orbital data centres off the ground?
In-depth: despite naysayers, startups and hyperscalers are accelerating plans to deploy data centres in space, with multiple major announcements since the start of the year. TelcoTitans Infrawatch investigates the players, prospects and viability…
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M&AEC cites need for ‘European champions’ as merger guidelines review looms
In depth: Anticipation builds as first sighting of revised EU merger guidelines is slated for April, and telcos are busy lobbying for an M&A rule change…
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Network & InfraT-Mobile boss pledges balance on spectrum spend
US telco is committed to maintaining its spectrum leadership, but will not buy frequencies at any cost.
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M&ATelefónica takes another step towards Colombian exit door
Millicom, prospective buyer of Telefónica Colombia, ticks off another item on its to-do list for the takeover with a tidy-up of the ownership of its own local business.
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M&AKenyan lawmakers question Safaricom valuation ahead of stake sale
Vodacom’s plan to acquire a controlling stake in Kenya’s Safaricom has attracted fierce scrutiny, with MPs calling for a rethink to secure a fair price and protect against foreign interference…
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Public AffairsThe EU’s DNA has landed, but receives lukewarm industry response
While telco groups have welcomed the prospect of spectrum reform to provide greater investment certainty, copper switch-off plans and a new approach to ‘fair share’ earn a far more mixed reception…
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Network & Infra‘No other choice’: 1&1 to sue BNetzA over spectrum extension move
Challenger operator CEO Ralph Dommermuth tells Handelsblatt that he intends to sue the regulator for spectrum licence extension decision that “ruled out” 1&1. “This is not OK”…
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Public AffairsEU resetting copper switch-off to ‘mandatory but conditional’ 2035, pressuring slow-mo incumbents
In depth: leaked draft of EC Digital Networks Act reveals copper shutdown ambitions delayed by five years. Incumbent, copper-overweight operators like Deutsche Telekom look set to face heat if new enforcement capabilities introduced. Other highlights include spectrum trading, easing up on regional consolidation, and streamlining oversight…
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Network & InfraOrange to continue to sell ADSL subs in some areas for another year
Customers in around 8,000 municipalities in France will still be able to buy copper‑based broadband services until 2027 after closure deadline is extended.
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Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: M&A ripples in Europe, debt reprieve in India
Analyst Briefing: European M&A, some of Vodafone’s own making, shifts the Partner Markets landscape; AGR pressure lifted for Vi as India’s gov commits to reassessment; and reports suggest change in the office for OXG Glasfaser ownership…