Brazil Telecoms News

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  Financial & Performance

  Spending: Capex peaks and operational efficiencies rise

  Management assures infrastructure investment will be maintained, as key in post-COVID‑19 world. Customer experience another priority area. Other projects being reined in to free up funds, though, with Abosolo stressing “strict screening” of spend plans

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  Financial & Performance

  Telefónica core markets: glimmers of a return to normality

  Group’s key business engines report a mixed set of results, but with signs of recovery emerging over the course of Q2.

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  Financial & Performance

  Financial highlights: generating cash and cutting costs

  Telefónica’s numbers for the quarter to 30 June 2020 (Q2 FY20) made grim reading.

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  M&A

  Vivo and co seek exclusivity as Oi measures up suitors

  Vivo, TIM, and Claro back in the driving seat on Oi assets acquisition as exclusive talks resume. Oi rejects proposals from private equity‑funded infrastructure provider Highline. Vivo could bolster its weak north‑east base. TIM may have most at stake in bidding, with speculation it would take the lion’s share ...

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  M&A

  Telefónica drops AxisMed

  Group offloads care management specialist to Atrys Health. A pivot from ‘provider’ to ‘partner’ in Telefónica’s healthcare strategy.

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  Strategy & Change

  Vivo to generate its own renewable energy

  Opportunities for cost‑savings are driving Vivo to get more hands‑on with adoption of localised renewable energy sources. Twenty‑year contract commitments from the operator said to be enabling innovative energy provider projects.

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  People

  Key movers in Telefónica: Rob Reason in at O2 UK; Wayra rejig starts in earnest

  O2 UK heads swap seats, including a Macdonald‑Dunford exchange with Now TV. Serial Brazilian telco leader Marcelo Campos moves from Claro to Vivo. Brando and Rotondo stake a claim at Wayra’s evolving South American top‑table. M2M solution provider Pangea pulls in another O2 name.

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  M&A

  Oi can afford to be choosy as rival bids for assets emerge

  Restructuring Brazilian operator Oi is weighing up escalating offers for its mobile assets as a consortium of local operators compete with private equity‑funded infrastructure provider Highline. TIM Brasil may have most at stake in bidding, with speculation it would take the lion’s share of Oi assets.

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  Financial & Performance

  Q2 FY20 first take: Telefónica distracts as reality bites

  Another social pact unveiled as COVID‑19 and currency falls combine to wipe €1.5bn off reported revenue, and shred profitability. Cash generation a priority as strict — and seemingly permanent — spending and investment restrictions are put in place. Telefónica Infra ambition emerging as plans for new wholesale fibre networks ...

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  Enterprise (B2B)

  Telefónica digs deep for 4G in Brazil’s mining sector

  Vivo forms partnership with Nokia to implement previously agreed LTE network at Vale mine. Nokia said the plan is to migrate the network to 5G in future.

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  Network & Infrastructure

  Vivo partners Huawei on 5G lab

  Brazilian operating business continues to collaborate with China‑based vendor despite US opposition.

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  Network & Infrastructure

  Pompeo declares Álvarez-Pallete a US 5G ally

  Statements from US Secretary of State on Telefónica intentions appears to contradict ongoing Group commitments to working with Huawei.

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  M&A

  Claro joins Telefónica and TIM in Oi bid

  América Móvil joins the cavalry as stalking horse bidders ride in with plans to divvy up Oi’s mobile base, bringing consolidation to the Brazilian market.

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  Network & Infrastructure

  Vivo launching 5G DSS in Brazil, semi-committing to Huawei infra

  Telefónica’s NatCo to launch 5G network on refarmed spectrum this week, as COVID-19 holds up frequency auctions.

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  Partnerships & Alliances

  Telefónica partners to promote digital pathology

  Operator bringing connectivity, storage and security capabilities to a partnership fostering an accelerated path to medical diagnoses in Spain.

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  People

  Telefónica people moves: New UK leads; ElevenPaths CFO installed

  Cybersecurity unit ElevenPaths looks ready to continue ambitious expansion. Former Chief Commercial Digital Officer Mariano de Beer takes on Independent Director role at Ribbon. Swaps at Wayra’s HispAm divisions.

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  Partnerships & Alliances

  Telefónica brings Erictel IoT to Brazil and UK

  Erictel IoT tech at the core of LUCA offerings. To be supported in more Telefónica markets as close links with Ericsson spin‑off intensify.

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  Network & Infrastructure

  Telefónica looks to cash in a dozen more data centres

  Telefónica reportedly eyeing up €150m sale of twelve more DCs to Asterion. Also said to be angling for a stake in interrelated DC manager Nabiax. Same VC fund bought eleven Telefónica DCs in 2019, aiding Group efforts to alleviate debt and monetise assets.

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  Financial & Performance

  Fitch gives Vivo AAA-grade

  Fitch recognises Vivo’s business model with triple-A rating despite the COVID-19 effect.

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  Network & Infrastructure

  Telefónica fuels 4G and IoT in Brazil’s agribusiness sector

  Vivo Empresas forms partnership with bioenergy producer UISA.

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  Analysis

  Telefónica sets eyes on COVID restart; announcements across all markets: Telefónicawatch roundup June-July 2020

  Telefónica joined Restarting Together COVID-19 recovery programme, absent from ETSI’s E4P scheme, and one of 53 large companies to take a Bank of England emergency loan. TIWS test LEO satellite; ElevenPaths gets AWS security certification. Announcements across Telefónica’s core markets include ongoing 5G/China drama in the UK; Brazilian network-sharing ...

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