RAN & Open RAN
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M&A
Australia’s Waveconn bulks up tower portfolio with Optus deal
Towerco to acquire hundreds of new sites from Australia’s number-two operator, further expanding its tower portfolio. Optus says the sale raises cash to fuel investments elsewhere…
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Analyst Briefings
UK Infrawatch analyst briefing: Netomnia evolution, data centre planning pushback
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: GoFibre and Netomnia funding success, planning ups and downs for data centres, TalkTalk travails; people moves, and plenty more…
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Interview
vHive CEO interview: digital twins now ‘single source of truth’ for MNO infra
Mobile operators “don’t want data, they want insights”, says Yariv Geller. Wide-ranging conversation explores maturation of digital twin tech for infra asset management, its role as ‘single source of truth’, and how it’s becoming invaluable for network optimisation and towerco M&A due diligence.
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Deep Dive
Telefónica’s Huawei gambit calls out Spain v US (and EC)
Deep Dive: Reported extension of 5G contract with Huawei ignites firestorm. Latest China procurement by a Spanish telco skirts EU recommendations and escalates geopolitical tensions, placing government and its flagship operator in a precarious position between deeply-rooted American and emerging Chinese spheres of influence.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT expands AWS deal for five more years
The cloud services giant flags the latest strategic agreement with BT as a critical step towards network autonomy.
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Analyst Briefings
EMEA Infrawatch Analyst Briefing: towercos go organic; new players enter DC scene
Latest in EMEA digital infra: Cellnex confident it can navigate potential telco consolidation in France; Helios seeks further organic growth with strategy refresh; Spanish telco trio progress fibre spin-out plans; Tele2 preps tower carve-out…
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Financial & Performance
1&1 taps fingers as it awaits spectrum sharing offer from rivals
Following regulator’s ruling in March, 1&1’s CEO Ralph Dommermuth says it’s not yet clear when the operator will be able to secure a deal to access low‑band spectrum.
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Network & Infra
Vodafone’s Nadia Benabdallah: ‘the real leap lies in autonomous networks’
Having seen the Group’s networks evolve from 3G to 5G SA over a 30-year career, Milan-based network strategy chief says the real benefits will come with deployment of autonomous networking…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Cellnex snaffles another post-M&A telco win with expanded Telefónica deal
Telefónica strengthens ties with Spanish tower provider via deal that expands footprint and supports operator’s access relationship with up-and-comer Digi Spain.
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Analyst Briefings
Vodafonewatch Analyst Briefing: best yet to come this year
Q1 FY25–26 special: management walks us through a broadly positive first quarter, but emphasises the latent potential for a ‘right-sized’ group that has taken ‘proactive’ steps towards a revival. German fruit soon ready for harvest, if CFO Luka Mucic is believed, with structural/strategic resets elsewhere also settling down…
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Suppliers & SCM
Vodacom Tanzania swaps Nokia for Huawei in RAN overhaul
Parent Group’s CEO Shameel Joosub says “much more attractive offer” from Huawei led to initiation of a major RAN rip-and-replace project.
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Analyst Briefings
Vodafonewatch Analyst Briefing: far-flung fibre deals
Latest from Vodafone as it secures antitrust commission support for a fibre move in South Africa and cements an Australian fibre sale; Portugal CEO vents M&A frustration; group lends support to AI RAN Alliance as open RAN overhaul continues; build up to Q1 earnings…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone adds Euro-heft to unbalanced AI-RAN Alliance
Vodafone’s entry into the AI-RAN Alliance takes the still-young vendor- and academic- and Asian-operator-heavy consortium past 100 members. With the AI-RAN market forecast to reach $10bn by 2030, the move underscores the strategic importance of efficiency gains and new revenue opportunities through autonomous networks.
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Analyst Briefings
Telefónicawatch Analyst Briefing: Murtra’s M&A mantra
Reports indicate the Spanish group could cash in on a significant chunk of its Vivo stake to bolster the financial platform for its upcoming new strategy. Investment and M&A speculation also continues to swirl around UK asset Virgin Media O2 and a big-bang return to the European data centre scene. Read more…
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Network & Infra
Case study: Telenet adopts network digital twins to break automation glass ceiling
How can operators achieve genuine network autonomy? Telenet’s Stijn Eeckhaut and Celfocus’s Carla Penedo reveal their phased approach, leveraging network digital twins and a cognitive operations layer, as well as empowering engineers to build trust in new data-driven processes.
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Operations
Telefónica shares network autonomy progress; calls on peers to reciprocate
Telefónica’s drive towards autonomous networks is reshaping the group, with Level 4 autonomy already achieved in key domains. This special report includes AI-driven innovation, the centrality of people, measurable KPIs, and a clarion call for industry-wide transparency…
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Analyst Briefings
Deutsche Telekomwatch Analyst Briefing: standing firm amid macro aggro
A busy edition as we review DT’s Q1 FY25 results, major personnel changes in the group’s Technology & Innovation hierarchy, and numerous digital infra dealmaking possibilities around the group’s fibre, towers, and data centre assets. Read more…
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People
Deutsche Telekom centres on RAN challenges with new R&D boss
Key RAN development exec Petr Ledl is to take over as Head of DT’s T-Labs unit, with a brief to grapple with “complex technology concepts in the area of mobile networks” and push forward transformation of the group’s radio systems.
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Network & Infra
China’s back in Spain: MásOrange turns to Huawei for 5G Advanced and netautonomy tech
MásOrange’s bold pivot back to Huawei for 5G Advanced and Level 4 autonomous networks could mark a seismic shift in European telecom strategy. Uncover the implications of this renewed partnership amid EU scrutiny and evolving China relations.
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Network & Infra
Orange’s Leboucher joins peers in drilling down on industry’s need for 6GHz
Orange CTO joins peers at BT, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and more to argue that the whole of the upper 6GHz band should be devoted to mobile to enable 6G.