- Telcos
- Suppliers
- Regions
- Technology
- People
- Deals
- Events
- Register
Get access to more exclusive telco content
Register now for free. It only takes a minute and you'll get access to several premium articles per month plus regular customised newsletters to stay up to date with all the latest telco insight.
Register Now
For full, unlimited access to in-depth news, insight and analysis, become a TelcoTitans member today.
Europe Telecoms News
People
BT strips directorships from treasurer on murder charge
Quick changes made to company officers for major BT holding companies in the wake of Treasury Manager’s widely reported arrest. Review of Winnister’s responsibilities highlights complexity of BT’s many tiers of subsidiaries, and echoes of losses past still reverberating.
Products & ServicesTelekom Deutschland takes IP fixed voice to the cloud
New Next Generation IP Multimedia Subsystem (NIMS) platform up and running. Marks another step in DT’s journey to software telco. NIMS suppliers include Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, Mavenir, Metaswitch, and Red Hat.
- Venturing & Investments
Telefónica seeks yet more startups: Open Future Call II
Open Future innovation hubs scout for Spanish startups with broad technological focus.
- People
Latest Vodafone people moves: Morathi named Vodacom CFO
German CIO Spenlé confirms his departure, swapped with Irnich. Brázdilová steps up to take senior role in Czechia and UK telco regular McWeeney takes on “dream” Vodafone role. Vantage Towers fills out its roster. Vodacom names its new CFO after top-level reshuffle.
- Partnerships & Alliances
T-Systems puts GAIA-X to work
Planned Franco‑German public cloud offering tagged as ‘Cloud Act‑free’. T‑Sys says US hyperscalers are welcome to join.
- People
Former BT leaders split across UK-China divide
Ex‑BT CEO Ian Livingston expected to foster support for challenger vendors as UK transitions from reliance on Huawei equipment. Predecessor Sir Peter Bonfield charged with smoothing relationships between government and Chinese‑funded chipmaker Imagination Technologies. Ex-Chairman Rake has been under fire as Huawei-apologist.
- Network & Infrastructure
UK’s 4G-based Emergency Services Network faces more delays
Airwave unlikely to be switched off until 2024, possibly 2025. EE on track with 4G network.
- Network & Infrastructure
BT, Stirling to launch Scottish Living Laboratory
BT named technology partner for University-led climate monitoring project. EE’s 5G network put to work.
- Operations
BT–EE meld: more execs become part of the mothership
BT’s de‑duplication effort accelerates with more than two thirds of EE’s operations staff being swallowed up by its parent Group since April 2019.
- M&A
Vodafone decries Italian broadband plan
Italy’s plan to create a single national broadband network moves closer, but deal still has some hurdles to overcome and Vodafone CEO Read signals he is opposed. Beyond broadband network, project might include 5G, edge computing, cloud and data centres, creating further strategic complexity for Vodafone’s Italian interests.
- Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica adds data centre capacity for edge services
Ten sites are to be opened in the next two years, focused on enabling edge services across Spain. Telefonica’s data centre partners may be waiting in wings to fuel further investment.
- People
Latest Deutsche Telekom movers: T-Sys SA MD plans her exit; T-Sys HU CEO follows suit
European CCOs get swapped, with Austria and Poland bringing in new faces. TMUS continues to bed its directors in with ongoing rejig. T‑Systems Hungary CEO exits “by mutual consent”, following failed sale in 2019. MTN South Africa’s changes draw another telco bigwig — this time T‑Sys SA MD Molefe. ...
- People
Latest Telefónica moves: cyber security remains a focus
Cybersecurity spin‑off ElevenPaths brings in H2020 lead Granadino for investment roadmap. O2 UK’s Suvo Datta gets called up to WM5G, leading the growing regional hub’s finance strategy.
- Strategy & Change
T‑Systems launches Digital Solutions unit after integration rethink
Post-COVID-19 reset for make-up of new digitisation‑focused unit, whose creation was first flagged in April 2018. Detecon consultancy unit and T‑Sys MMS no longer involved. Partner implications yet to emerge.
- M&A
New Three boss snipes at O2–Virgin merger
Finnegan doubtful on merits of O2–Virgin Media deal, but bullish on leading further UK consolidation.
- Innovation (R&D)
BT’s Adastral Park testing use-cases for EU’s 5G-VINNI project
Project tests 5G for agile media production in broadcasting. BT’s Adastral Park is a main test facility for EU-funded 5G-VINNI project.
- Network & Infrastructure
Merc’s 5G-equipped future factory begins production
O2 hands over the keys to the campus network it built at the automaker’s Factory 56: seen as a “flagship” for 5G in manufacturing. Production green light marks the start of Mercedes’ all‑digital production overhaul.
- Strategy & Change
Heathrow operator Ferrovial has 5G on radar
Emerging tower and private network ambitions look to set up the Spanish group as a rival and/or partner of operators and their infrastructure arms.
- Strategy & Change
Green sees ‘correction’ in TV sports rights prices
BT is attempting to turn down the heat on expectations for broadcast sport auctions in a market that has already seen signs of cooling.
- Network & Infrastructure
BT takes charge of 5G factory floor
BT collaborates with Worcestershire 5G (W5G) testbed and Ericsson to install ‘live’ 5G factory. Runs and manages private 5G network for Worcester Bosch. Takes technology lead at W5G to accelerate UK adoption of smart-manufacturing.
- Content & TV
BT TV: A tale of two UIs
The evolution of BT TV reflects a BT journey from an outward‑looking “buy” approach to new technology, to a more self‑reliant “build” mindset. Divisional BT architects said to have re‑focused on project delivery, with strategically-minded enterprise architects taking a Group‑wide perspective.
- Financial & Performance
Numbers: no sport and shut businesses take their toll
While whole Group faces headwinds, Consumer and Enterprise take the brunt of COVID‑19 impact. The “usual” working capital payments on top of slumping earnings result in negative cash flow for the quarter.
