All articles by Richard Agnew
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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.
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TechnologyDT throws lot in with T-Mobile on ‘open’, ‘AI-native’ 6G
MWC26: DT moves into the slipstream of its American powerhouse on AI-focused 6G development work, setting up a basis for R&D collaboration and backing the ‘open 6G’ vision of T-Mobile’s close tech partner NVIDIA.
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Suppliers & SCMTelefónica taps Red Hat’s OpenShift for cloud-native modernisation in Spain, Brazil
MWC26: Amidst a raft of telco deals worldwide, the open-source leader confirms strategic IT and network migration contracts with Telefónica in Spain and Brazil, driving cloud-native modernisation from virtualisation to containerisation with OpenShift, and teasing an automated, AI and edge future.
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Public AffairsGerman broadband regs shift prompts altnet angst
German broadband providers show unease over regulator’s move to refocus onto regional markets when gauging incumbent Telekom Deutschland’s market power, and potentially relax the operator’s regulatory obligations in four cities.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDT and Porsche venture into autonomous construction tech
Jointly backed investment house Incharge Capital Partners joins funding round in US scaleup Bedrock Robotics, which focuses on automating machines used in construction.
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Financial & PerformanceOrange searches for €1bn down back of supply chain sofa
FY26–FY28 Trust the Future strategy: French group targeting substantial savings on vendor budget as part of new mid-term strategic vision. Move forms part of broader efficiency and cost reduction programme taking in AI, legacy network shutdown, and centralisation of platforms and services across Orange.
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M&ABrazil’s Vivo eyes fibre deals in bid for Total loyalty
Operator’s Chief Executive Christian Gebara cites continued interest in acquisitions that would boost its position as Brazil’s number-one fibre provider, and save cost on build. Identifying a good deal within the country’s huge mass of broadband players remains a challenge, however.
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Suppliers & SCMDT in fresh bid to settle €80m outsourcing row
ISS, DT’s facilities management supplier in Germany, indicates the pair have entered discussions over a deal that would end their long-running contract dispute.
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Analyst BriefingDeutsche Telekomwatch: T-Mobile’s bid to stay different
Analyst Briefing: A run-through of T-Mobile US’s strategy update, as the Un-Carrier re-expresses belief in its ability to outdo rivals on network quality and value, and backs it up with higher financial and commercial targets. In Europe DT refreshes its satellite IoT service through new partnerships, and flags research work on quantum…