Public affairs – Page 10
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Public Affairs
Round 3: Phones 4u’s MNO collusion claims OK’d for appeal
EXCLUSIVE: Court of Appeal to reconsider initial judgment that cleared operators and then-parents. Questions may include whether more weight be given to findings that attempts were made to fix 4G pricing by O2 and Vodafone, that EE misled Ofcom, and that Ronan Dunne made an apparent admission of coordination between Telefónica and Vodafone. Deutsche Telekom and Orange still potentially on the hook as former EE owners, but extent of any direct impact still pending. Learn more…
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Financial & Performance
Deutsche Telekom’s Europe success story — under-appreciated, under-valued (and awkwardly off-narrative)
Exclusive analysis: quietly, the transatlantic behemoth that is Deutsche Telekom is countenancing a slight increase in capital outlay in its ten-territory Europe division, despite the remorseless downer its execs lay on the region’s lack of global investment appeal. Investors still value rump DT very poorly compared to T-Mobile US, however. Read more…
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M&A
Spain buys 3% of Telefónica, more share purchases likely
Madrid initiates process of regaining primary shareholder status in Telefónica, as national interests surrounding telco ownership continue to rise back up the agenda in Europe, prompted by phase of operator vulnerability to outside takeovers and broader climate of geopolitical risk.
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Public Affairs
Germany’s fibre players question viability of Gigabit Strategy goals
Amidst the jostling at FTTH Conference in Berlin, altnets and incumbent Deutsche Glasfaser, GigaNetz and Telekom raise doubts that ‘fibre everywhere’ can be achieved by 2030, more upbeat on demand. Read more…
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Public Affairs
Telefónica ‘in talks’ with SEC on ‘historic fine’ over Chinese ties in Venezuela
Final amount of penalty is currently unknown, the report from El Confidencial says. Probe was launched after President Maduro invited Chinese suppliers to help build 4G networks.
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M&A
CMA concerned Vodafone-Three could access O2 and EE secrets
As expected, the UK merger is headed for tougher scrutiny in a longer investigation following an initial review by the Competition and Markets Authority.
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Public Affairs
Telefónica’s Rao adds to calls for German auction rethink
O2 Germany’s CTIO helps maintain pressure as BNetzA considers next move on spectrum rights.
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Public Affairs
Phones 4u trial: O2, Telefónica slapped on costs, appeal in pipeline
P4u still pursuing UK MNOs over collapse, despite losing trial and first appeal. Has been super squirmy for many involved, including adjacent revelations. Legal costs in near-decade battle top £100m for P4u, EE, O2, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica — with judge spotting defendants nearly £9m for dubious antics…
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Public Affairs
Union demands 12% wage hike at Deutsche Telekom
Negotiations on 2024 collective wage agreement likely to run until May, if not longer.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom wades into ‘trench warfare’ over fibre duct access
Group continues to refute accusations it is trying to hinder altnet fibre buildouts.
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Public Affairs
Netomnia: UK’s One Touch Switch ‘hijacked’ by BT, VM O2 as scheme delayed again
Altnet CEO Jeremy Chelot tells TelcoTitans that the UK’s One Touch Switching hub is unviable under current governance, with BT and Virgin Media said to be dragging feet and over-complicating proceedings. A new date has been set, but concerns remain. The alternative? ‘I’ve built it, and it took me three weeks’…
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Network & Infrastructure
UK gov pledges satcomms R&D investment for ultra-rural homes
Spring Budget adds £160m to LEO connectivity funding pot days after warnings that UK SatCos require fresh funding to stay afloat. BT, Vodafone, VM O2 have named their partners, and early trials are beginning to emerge…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Della Valle calls for EU rethink as Group begins Italy retreat
Weekly Briefing: Vodafone CEO looks likely to get rationalisation wish granted as Italian escape nears, days after she presented a united front at MWC with European peers to demand change on the continent. Other developments showcased in Barcelona include an XR headset demo and open API momentum…
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Strategy & Change
Vi attempts to convince investors with massive fundraise plan
Vodafone’s Indian JV makes progress on fundraising plans at long last, but questions remain about debt and dues as deadlines loom. Is INR 450bn/£4.3bn/€5bn enough to recuperate the flailing operator?
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Public Affairs
“Who the hell is giving these companies money?” — Höttges warns of investment crisis as big four unite
In a “historic” coming together of the heads of Europe’s four biggest operators, calls were made for changes in regulation, spectrum, and merger policy to support future investment. The EC appears open to change on all fronts, but not always as the operators wish.
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Public Affairs
DT ‘withholding payments’ on giant outsourcing deal, amid dispute
ISS, DT’s facilities management supplier in Germany, flags it could take a €80m hit to cash flow this year after the seeing place a halt on certain deal payments. The move comes amid ongoing contractual disagreement between the two groups and is the latest in a long line of headaches ISS has faced since taking on the FM job.
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Financial & Performance
Three more years for Magyar Telekom CEO Tibor Rékasi
Deutsche Telekom rewards boss for resilient FY23 performance of Hungarian NatCo and navigation of recent rough political and economic terrain.
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Network & Infrastructure
UK’s £1bn 4G ‘not spot’ programme slammed by national auditor; ‘5G SA for all’ doubts
Behind schedule Shared Rural Network a mess but not quite a fail, and another example of government mismanagement. Ofcom slapped for unfit-for-purpose market definition and data. MNOs on hook for cost overruns, and better updates…
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M&A
European Commission greenlights Orange-MÁSMÓVIL merger
Transaction to create new fixed‑mobile behemoth in Spain, with market reset also seeing Vodafone España handover, fibre agglomeration…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: UK fibre competitors hit out with renewed vigour; what was in Allera’s CEO pitch?
Latest from BT and its ecosystem as competitors ramp up ambitions and investment challenge to Openreach fibre incumbency pretensions; Consumer boss Marc Allera backs Kirkby mandate (but what would he do “really quite interesting” if made CEO?); more…