Spotlight: Fibre M&A & Consolidation
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Financial & PerformanceBT CEO snubs fibre M&A, doubling down on Openreach organic growth — despite accelerating line losses
Q2 FY25–26: Allison Kirkby showed little enthusiasm at thought of mopping up fibre altnets as part of much-anticipated consolidation, instead insisting Openreach is best focused on its own game, and set up to beat any incursion — notwithstanding line losses accelerating alarmingly…
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M&ANetomnia takeout rumours: first billion-dollar M&A for UK fibre?
Deep dive: Reports suggest Netomnia is in play, with cashed-up nexfibre/VM O2 and CityFibre tagged as frontrunners in the race to build a national fibre challenger to Openreach. TelcoTitans Infrawatch explores the backdrop, leading players (including Liberty Global and Telefónica), netco-servco dichotomy, and likeliest outcomes…
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M&A‘We need to get on with it’: nexfibre boss wants to see altnet acquisition action
Fibreco chief suggests some investors will have to swallow losses on altnets as the industry goes into consolidation mode.
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Partnerships & AlliancesGamma’s Mike Mills: why UK altnet-MVNO convergence is happening now
For UK fibre players, adding mobile services is becoming a compelling route to maximising ARPU and customer value. Enabler Gamma debunks misconceptions, arguing that the MVNO model can unlock significant returns with fast market entry, while eSIM also rewrites the rules. Learn more…
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Financial & PerformanceCityFibre secures £2.3bn war chest to lead UK altnet scaleup round
UK’s largest altnet finalises funding aimed at accelerating operations and driving fibreco consolidation. The question now is ‘what next for Virgin Media O2, its mothballed NetCo spinout, and nexfibre sidecar?’. Read more…
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M&AMásOrange, Vodafone Spain ‘rethink FibreCo stake sale’
Operator duo reportedly considers adjusting plans to offload a 40% stake in their work-in-progress fibre joint venture, after “most” of the initial non-binding offers that investors have submitted fell below the €7bn minimum valuation they are seeking.
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Products & ServicesRip & Restart: AllPoints launches aquila UK fibre wholesale platform
Days after Zen’s The Fibre Hub launch, Fern Trading outpost opens curtains on UK’s latest aggregator in effort to offer a simplified, stable route to ‘national’ ISP scale, with multiple FibreCos and B2B retailers already on board. Could this be the game-changer the altnet segment needs?
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M&AVirgin Media O2 still eyeing altnet buys despite pressing pause on NetCo plan
Virgin Media O2 remains hungry for fibre altnet M&A while its NetCo sale plans are put on ice and its own fibre build rate cools off this year.
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Strategy & ChangeVM O2 slams brakes on NetCo fundraise amidst Telefónica strategy hiatus (nexfibre curtailed, too)
Plans to sell stake in NetCo spinout paused, as co-parent Liberty looks to “align” with partner Telefónica’s new management. nexfibre build also dramatically slowed to maintain “capital discipline” in UK’s “increasingly irrational” fibre market. Meanwhile, Netomnia raises new funds, ups target by another two millions homes…
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M&ACityFibre’s Holden: altnets and backers must pull together for investment‑grade nirvana
In-depth from Eight Advisory’s London event: as UK fibre altnets face financing challenges, optimistic CityFibre COO reveals vision for consolidation, suggesting sector is “a very small number of M&A transactions away” from creating a sufficiently scaled platform to rival BT/Openreach and VM O2. Additional Greg Mesch and Rob Hamlin coverage from FTTH Conference in Amsterdam…
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M&ACityFibre returns to M&A with Connexin deal
Acquisition of network assets in Hull and surrounding region could see additional 184,000 premises passed by CityFibre network.
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M&A2025: the year UK FibreCo cash becomes king?
This year may see further billions injected into altnets to pump-prime M&A consolidation, while 2026 could start to see what the end-state looks like (third scale player or continued swarm).
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M&ACityFibre confirms M&A outreach, predicts 2025 acceleration and ‘inflection point’
UK’s largest altnet actively engaging rival FibreCos to discuss rollup deals. Sees M&A as “major opportunity” to up competitive pressure on incumbent Openreach. Read more about financial execution, XGS-PON and Sky amongst defining 2025 aspects after first year of profitability
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Network & InfraKPN seeks to temper Dutch overbuild amidst fibre storm
CEO Joost Farwerck eager to temper overbuild in the Netherlands, as fibre rivals including DELTA Fiber and Open Dutch Fiber lock in overlapping city build programmes. Concerns accompany latest earnings showing incumbent maintaining pace to hit own rollout target…
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M&AFullFibre, Zzoomm to form integrated altnet, fuel further M&A
UK fibre altnets to combine for a shared 600,000 ready for service network with 65,000 customers, adding FullFibre’s wholesale platform to Zzoomm’s retail.
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InterviewNew INCA CEO tells UK altnets to mobilise against common enemy
Industry body recce’d under new CEO, with collaboration and communication identified for rework — including potential Openreach hotline upgrade — despite cloud of consolidation.
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Strategy & ChangeZzoomm: capital costs holding back build and consolidation
At INCA Summit Zzoomm’s CEO Matthew Hare predicted a bright future for the sector, but current cost of capital is impeding expansion plans and complicating the path to consolidation.
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M&AUK altnet group AllPoints nabs new retail service provider Brillband
Fern Trading‑backed fibre altnet acquires Glasgow‑focused retail fibre startup, and backs plans for continued expansion.
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Financial & PerformanceClock ticking for UK altnet Spring Fibre as administration looms
A notice of intention to enter administration has been submitted, with the altnet having until the end of the week to find a solution for its financial situation or appoint an administrator.
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Financial & PerformanceGrain claims to beat Openreach connection costs as EBITDA breakeven nears
UK fibre altnet frontloads capex to build to property boundaries, making for cheap connections when customers sign up, but Grain may be playing a high-risk game…