Strategy
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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&ABouygues prepared to play waiting game for Altice France assets
Following the rejection of French telco trio’s €17bn joint offer for SFR, Bouygues Group hopes they will be able to change parent Altice’s mind over time.
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Strategy & ChangeKPN shifts fibre build goalposts, says costly ‘landgrab’ over
In another sign of more constrained times facing Europe’s broadband infrastructure players, KPN says it is slowing and optimising its fibre rollout, to maximise efficiency and return-on-investment.
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Partnerships & AlliancesIridium highlights ‘strategic’ value of DT space link-up
Satellite operator emphasises its role as a “stable partner” for telcos navigating alliance options in the rapidly shifting New Sat landscape, following its recent tie-up with Deutsche Telekom on next-generation hybrid connectivity through the NTN Direct platform.
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PeopleVantage Towers poaches American Tower Germany boss to fill CEO vacancy
Former American Tower and DFMG exec Martin Bouchard will take over at Vantage Towers in May, becoming the fourth CEO in three years at the towerco…
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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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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch Analyst Briefing: banks wobble, equity plays chicken, altnets play baddies
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: Voneus calls bankers’ bluff, INCA anticipates altnet dominance, nexfibre seeks consolidation jumpstart, and plenty more…
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Network & InfraHrvatski Telekom eyes mmWave to boost fibre + FWA infra strategy
In-depth: Deutsche Telekom-affiliated Croatian incumbent is expanding its tiered 5G fixed wireless access offerings, including with tests of mmWave, with the technology positioned as a key tool alongside satellite to bridge broadband gaps and prepare for copper switch-off…
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Financial & PerformanceEquity vs debt: who blinks first in UK fibre consolidation showdown?
In-depth: While sector consolidation presents complexity for altnets seeking to evolve, challenges faced by financial backers invested through equity and loan facilities should not be underestimated.
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Strategy & ChangeUK’s Netomnia targets ISP giants with YouMobile MVNO
Fibre altnet and wannabe convergence player set to launch mobile by the end of the year, piggybacking on the VodafoneThree network. CFO Wil Wadsworth and CEO Jeremy Chelot have sights set on the UK’s FMC establishment…
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Network & InfraSubsea cables: Vodafone heads ‘off beaten track’ as hyperscalers muscle in on mainstream
Capacity Europe 2025: Vodafone’s Head of Global Infrastructure Owen Bryant considers the role telcos should play in transcontinental infra links as hyperscalers investment billions into subsea infra. Vodafone, for its part, is focused on ‘red’ markets that lie outside Google and Meta’s core interests…
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PeopleTelefónica rejigs team to break new trail on infra
Chief Executive of Telefónica Infra to leave after six years in role, giving the Spanish group a new setup to push through a change in approach on management and ownership of fibre assets. Politically connected Board Director takes on the challenge…
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InterviewINCA CEO: ‘job done’ when altnets join Openreach as industry ‘baddies’
INCA Summit 2025: With consolidation looming and the next Telecoms Access Review on the horizon, the UK’s fibre landscape is at a tipping point. Altnets, however, are still reeling from (pantomime) villain Openreach’s latest pricing initiative, with disappointment at Ofcom inertia, and suspicion the incumbent is testing what it can get away with…
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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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Financial & PerformanceAs lenders wobble on UK fibre, should altnets brace for potential write-downs?
FTTH Congress CEE: ING warns that lender peers are weighing up debt write-downs as UK and European fibrecos fail to deliver on business case promises. Altnet leaders warn that investors are ‘scarred’ by past shortcomings, but can be reconvinced…
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Public Affairs‘Enormously aggressive’: nexfibre leads altnet complaints against Openreach copper-to-fibre discounting
Connected Britain 2025: As Openreach pulls levers to combat massive broadband losses, and drive fibre adoption alongside, altnet leaders have called out the discount pricing strategy as unsustainable. nexfibre execs have called it an exploitation of the incumbent’s significant market powers, CityFibre warns of structure advantage, plus views from other altnets, rivals…
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Financial & PerformanceEutelsat shareholders inject funds to cut debt, boost LEO buildout
Satellite operator’s Board of Directors given the go-ahead for capital increase at Annual General Meeting, with plans to utilise funding to deleverage and advance satellite constellation ambitions.
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Strategy & ChangeFrom upstart to fibre-mobile powerhouse: Netomnia CEO plots BT take-down
Connected Britain: Jeremy Chelot refreshes provocative vision for fibreco segment, with fixed-mobile convergence latest outcome of choice. The ultimate prize could be a scaled altnet merging with VodafoneThree, or a new MNO — creating a new heavyweight contender to BT/Openreach…
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Strategy & ChangeGrain skewers wholesale model as altnets ponder consolidation
At Connected Britain the UK’s largest fibre platforms called on investors and smaller players to accept the inevitability of consolidation. Niche challenger Grain rebutted the assumption that scale is now critical, and instead called into question the foundations of current wholesale‑led models.
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Public AffairsBT’s Kirkby pulls no punches in review of UK regulatory, fiscal policy
Connected Britain: Allison Kirkby lets loose on Downing Street policy, with greater fiscal certainty needed to fund much-needed infra investment and AI adoption. Regulatory policy comes in for inevitable criticism too, as the BT boss sets the scene for the Chancellor’s upcoming Budget and Ofcom’s pending Telecoms Access Review…