All articles by Richard Agnew
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Suppliers & SCMVM O2 retains Ericsson and Nokia as it pushes towards 5G-Advanced
European vendor duo land fresh, multi-year RAN deals at UK operator, as it continues catchup effort through Mobile Transformation Plan.
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PeoplewatchTelefónica’s new Germany chief reboots ExCo
New CEO Santiago Argelich Hesse takes direct charge of O2’s go-to-market as operator bids to regain growth in FY27. Slice-up of O2’s Consumer business prompts exit of B2C chief Andreas Laukenmann and gives now-Chief Operating Officer Mallik Rao full oversight of tech and ops.
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Partnerships & AlliancesDT and EWE given fresh fibre build pass till 2030
Despite competitor qualms, German infra giants gain a renewed regulatory green light, with conditions, for fibre joint venture Glasfaser Nordwest.
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Analyst BriefingTelefónicawatch: Murtra remains defiant of short-termism
Analyst Briefing: Round-up of developments at Spanish incumbent, as Exec Chair Marc Murtra asserts longevity of his “comprehensive” transformation plan, amid market scepticism, and the operator secures a series of deals around fibre consolidation, B2B services, and internal efficiency. Read more…
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M&ALiberty’s Fries dismisses CityFibre ‘sour grapes’ over £2bn nexfibre bulk-up
UK altnet tensions continue to heighten over the competitive implications of planned acquisition of Substantial Group, as Liberty Global CEO hits back at CityFibre over calls for in-depth CMA inquiry.
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PeoplewatchCellnex UK promotes ops boss into CEO slot
Long-time Ericsson exec Steve Cray, who joined Cellnex in September 2025, becomes chief of UK unit. He fills gap left by Gianluca Landolina’s transfer to lead tower group’s new pan-European verticals business…
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PeoplewatchLiberty plucks exec from TopSource to lead B2B services expansion
Ian Larkin recruited from HR service provider to become first CEO of new outsourcing unit Liberty Blume.
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InterviewHelios CFO on tower group’s people-powered growth plan
Interview: Helios Towers’ finance chief Manjit Dhillon has long-term confidence in the outlook for MEA’s mobile industry as it gains lift from demographic and commercial tailwinds.
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OperationsVirgin Media O2 targets office costs with outsourcing deal
Operator gives facilities outsourcing partner ISS some firm cost saving targets to deliver, in return for two-year contract renewal and expansion.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDeutsche Telekom rejigs charging infra venture
The telco’s EV charging point side-business Comfortcharge once had grand ambitions for a national-scale buildout, but has now been reassigned within its corporate centre, in a reflection of reduced scope and refocus.
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PeoplewatchDeutsche Telekom Peoplewatch: new Inflight Services & IoT chiefs named
The latest roundup of senior people moves at the German giant, including the introduction of new bosses at Deutsche Telekom IoT, the Group’s Inflight Services unit, and DT’s procurement function.
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PeoplewatchDT seeks auto sector knowhow with buying boss pick
MAHLE exec Michael Sohn takes on job of finding opportunities to trim cost out of operator’s near-€50bn annual purchasing budget…
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Financial & PerformanceAmerican Tower to bring US savvy (and clout) to European ops, to drive margin
US wireless infra giant looking to globalise American best practices and buying power across its international operations, in pursuit of new FY30 margin goal. Areas being targeted for savings include land, internal tech, supplier spend, and site maintenance.
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Financial & PerformanceDT breaks into EU top ten: market cap surges to €159bn, amid Euro telco comeback
Navigating geopolitical tensions and tech-dominated indices, Deutsche Telekom has surged amongst the EU’s top companies, fuelled by the enduring strength of T-Mobile US and renewed appetite for local telcos. Read our analysis on DT’s growth and the broader regional resurgence…
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Network & InfraVirgin Media O2 seeks 5G edge through kit pre-assembly
UK operator is looking for ‘right first time’ gains by shifting to embrace pre-assembly and testing of kit for 5G site upgrades, and in doing so oil the wheels of its ongoing Mobile Transformation Plan.
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Network & InfraCellnex steps in as telcos seek energy backup
With grid and battery constraints front of mind for telcos, Spanish wireless infra group says it is discussing tie-ups with ‘several’ European MNOs on new power resiliency offering, and has signed up Telefónica on initial deployment.
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Network & InfraVM O2 plans ‘mini macro’ sites to boost city bandwidth
MWC26: UK operator has engaged tower companies on buildout of new, lower-footprint site form factor as part of ongoing, £700m-per-year Mobile Transformation Plan…
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PeoplewatchVivo CFO David Melcon switches over to Virgin Media O2
Telefónica slots long-serving and notably senior exec into position overseeing UK joint venture’s finances at a time of significant change at the business.
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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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Partnerships & AlliancesDT and SoftBank seek partners for ‘global’ IoT platform play
MWC26: MNO partners want to extend ‘all-in-one’ IoT connectivity solution into new markets beyond Europe and Japan.