Public Affairs
All the latest public affairs news, analysis and insight, including legal, regulatory and political issues surrounding leading telecom and infra players.
‘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.
Trust me I’m a telco: sector insecurity seeps into MWC opener
MWC26: Telco CEOs take to the stage to warn of “unknown threats” and an emerging “Wild West” as the pace of technological change outpaces the rate that international operators, governments, and regulators can react…
Enter SatCo: Vodafone raises curtain on European D2D branding, management
Branding, management, and governance unveiled as Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile take another step towards direct-to-device services launch in Europe. ‘We’re here to complement, not compete’ is the message from leadership, as satco takes on ‘operator-led’ model…
German 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.
What will it take to get orbital data centres off the ground?
In-depth: despite naysayers, startups and hyperscalers are accelerating plans to deploy data centres in space, with multiple major announcements since the start of the year. TelcoTitans Infrawatch investigates the players, prospects and viability…
DT 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.
EC cites need for ‘European champions’ as merger guidelines review looms
In depth: Anticipation builds as first sighting of revised EU merger guidelines is slated for April, and telcos are busy lobbying for an M&A rule change…
VM O2 inches closer to Starlink mobile services launch
Operator secures Ofcom approval to use existing 1800MHz spectrum for imminent direct-to-device product O2 Satellite.
T-Mobile boss pledges balance on spectrum spend
US telco is committed to maintaining its spectrum leadership, but will not buy frequencies at any cost.
UK: Freedom Fibre-Truespeed combine as cashed-up consolidator
In-depth: Strongly-backed, M&A-proven duo merging to create scaled, integrated altnet with 400,000+ footprint in England, boasting rare financial headroom in debt-laden sector, and positioned to drive further consolidation (and fill a Netomnia void?)…
Belgium yet to finish off its fibre Plan B
Orange Belgium CEO indicates it may not gain clarity on pivotal fibre tie-up with incumbent Proximus until late-2026. Their plan forms part of a major planned reorg of sector that was initiated back in 2023 but remains locked in regulatory review.