Public Affairs
All the latest public affairs news, analysis and insight, including legal, regulatory and political issues surrounding BT, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Vodafone.
Infracapital: UK FibreCo fundraisers must graft to overcome global ‘bad rep’, new gov showing ‘green shoots’
INCA event provides platform for investors and altnets including Octopus and Netomnia to review early weeks of Labour government, with broad optimism on show despite still rocky funding environment. The capital exists, but what will Downing Street do to bring it to the UK? Read more…
T-Mobile spends $5bn to make Metronet its fibre buy number-two
Tie-up with KKR sees NatCo add two million homes to its expanding fixed services footprint, as well as securing a residential customer add-on.
Vodafone Portugal attracts Saudi buyout — report
Portuguese telecoms brace for another stc advance if rumours are believed, with Vodafone transitioning from local buyer to acquisition target. Plan B to stitch up Iberian synergies with stc’s Telefónica stake in Spain?
Infrawatch Weekly: Europe aims for SatCo breakthrough, Hyperoptic joins £1bn club, DT ponders more TowerCos
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including: EU efforts to support connectivity on Earth and above the skies; UK public sector stoking the fire of fibre investment; musings on the merits of more TowerCos; and plenty more…
Germany reaches deal with operators to phase out Huawei and ZTE
Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone Germany signal relief that the end is in sight to a politically sensitive and protracted affair.
Vodafone buying chief: ‘creeping protectionism’ destabilising telecom supply chain
Group Procurement Director Ninian Wilson warns that dynamic has changed in Europe, with rising US-China tensions making for difficult decisions in telco buying. Vodafone SCM strategy now prioritising resilience, despite trade-offs…
Vodafone M&A attempt shot down in Portugal
Proposed Vodafone Portugal acquisition of market minnow Nowo ruled out by local antitrust body, but with potential lessons to take to UK merger wranglings.
Vodafonewatch Weekly: UK merger takes another twist; AI making ‘fundamental’ change
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including AI-led change affecting the entire industry; UK deal-making to appease merger detractors; spectrum wins in non-core markets; and more from satcomms, ESG startups, and South Africa’s High Court…
Vodafone hands VM O2 a spectrum bonus to win merger support
Following more than a year of talks, Vodafone wins Virgin Media O2 round to its proposed Three merger with an extended network sharing agreement and approval-dependent spectrum transaction. Questions remain about MBNL future, BT response, and CMA viewpoint…
BTwatch Weekly: less tech, more outcomes for BT’s consumer and procurement teams
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including calls from Consumer’s Kevin Lee to ‘forget the jargon’ and Chief Procurement Officer Cyril Pourrat on the centrality of AI to the future of buying. Infrastructure sharing in focus at Openreach; network executives exit; and Rivus folds after BT takes business elsewhere…
Openreach initiates infra-sharing crackdown as altnets told to get compliant
So-called ‘whereabouts’ compliance must reach 90% for altnets to avoid potential eviction from Openreach networks, with three-month grace period before any action taken. Altnets also unhappy with current failings, and investors wary of compliance weakness. Read more…