All Three UK articles
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Strategy & Change‘A deliberate ploy’: UK operators face backlash as prices increase
Consumers facing broadband and mobile price hikes question operators’ justifications. Infrastructure investment and heightened demand among the buzzwords, but critics say margins the greater concern. MVNOs come out on top against ‘big four’ in a consumer survey.
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Network & Infrastructure
Cellnex wins over BT and CMA to secure Hutchison UK tower merger
BT appeased by recent strengthening of its own Cellnex partnership. Cellnex to complete €10bn, six‑country deal following approval of UK merger.
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M&A
Iliad makes move on Vodafone Italy
France-based Iliad Group said to have tabled an offer to Vodafone board last week. Vodafone share price gets short-lived bounce. Read’s self-styled “proactive” approach to M&A under the spotlight (again).
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT follows EE with BAI deal
Wholesale division to provide colocation space for neutral host network. BT flags wider focus on edge computing.
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone under pressure from activist investor to boost shareholder returns
Bloomberg reports Cevian Capital has built up stake in Vodafone. Unnamed sources say Swedish investment firm putting pressure on Read and management team to move more aggressively on M&A. Accuses Vodafone board of lacking experience and strategic know‑how in telecoms. Vodafone share price gets bounce after news breaks of ...
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Public Affairs
Cellnex offers CMA deal to secure Hutchison UK tower merger
Spanish InfraCo willing to sell enough sites from its existing estate to enable a new UK tower player to emerge, and overcome CMA concerns on competition linked to its planned CKH infrastructure acquisition. Four companies have already stepped forward as potential buyers. CTIL objects to being positioned as a ...
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M&A
Vodafone under M&A spotlight in Italy, UK
Group reportedly in consolidation talks with Iliad in Italy. A potential merger with Three UK was also apparently explored. Vodafone keeps head down as rumours swirl. Read keen advocate of European in‑market consolidation.
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Partnerships & Alliances
EE climbs on board with BAI
EE and Three UK become first two operators to sign up for neutral host network. A further key element is enabled for the Emergency Services Network. Motorola Solutions appeals CMA decision to investigate dual role as Airwave and ESN supplier.
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Consumer (B2C)
EE trudges on with Shared Rural Network progress
46 ‘fresh sites’ delivered under SRN programme. EE to upgrade a further 1,532 sites with 4G by 2024 in ‘partial not‑spot’ phase.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone takes Ofcom to task over proposed 2100MHz fees
Vodafone warns that rise in licence fees risks being passed onto end users. New annual licence fees for 2100MHz set to come into force from January 2022. Group calculates significantly lower fee compared with Ofcom’s proposal.
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People
EE–Three network sharing JV MBNL confirms King as MD
Gervase King coronated as MD at MBNL. Permanent appointment fills gap left by Pat Coxen, who moved to BT Consumer last year.
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Network & Infrastructure
Lopsided Scottish 4G project shows MNO divergence
After slow start, S4GI scheme now a third of the way towards meeting 2023 site rollout target. But EE remains dominant player, with site activation pipeline more than seven times as large as that of its three rivals. Signs SRN could be shunting S4GI down other MNOs’ priority lists. ...
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in BT Group: Procurement adopts spend management system
Procurement adopts tail spend management system; new stakeholder engages workers union; BT’s future HQ under new ownership .
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Network & Infrastructure
O2 deal with Vodafone to supplement spectrum gains
Ofcom closes assignment stage of UK spectrum auction with O2 trading blocks with Vodafone, while BT opts to buy preferable positions outright. O2–Vodafone trade ensures contiguous spectrum blocks in 5G‑ready bands.
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Network & Infrastructure
Cornerstone to pilot City of London 5G upgrade
“ City-wide ” open access network being explored. Joint venture’s 2017 contract now appears to include 5G. Deployment will depend on the outcome of trials.
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Network & Infrastructure
EE spins up spectrum to further 5G ambitions
New licences put to use minutes after being issued, in partnership with Nokia. BT pays an additional £23m after initial low‑ball auction, but Group still bagged “an excellent price”, says Consumer CEO Marc Allera. EE open to future spectrum trades as O2 and Vodafone sign their own deal.
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Network & Infrastructure
O2 UK secures more 5G spectrum
Ofcom raises a total of £1.4bn in principal auction stage — several hundred million pounds less than expectations. Regulator has now opened the first phase of negotiation period that should enable operators to build contiguous blocks in the 3.4GHz–3.8GHz band. Lower spend on licences (so far) should provide an ...
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone UK secures mid-band 5G spectrum
OpCo decides against buying low‑band airwaves as it intends to refarm 900MHz for 5G. Total amount raised is below expectations, indicating lack of appetite among operators for bidding war.
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Network & Infrastructure
EE gets a bargain as operators low‑ball 5G auction
Ofcom raises a total of £1.4bn in principal auction stage — several hundred million pounds less than expectations. Regulator has now opened the first phase of the negotiation period that should enable operators to build a contiguous block in the 3.4GHz–3.8GHz band. Lower spend on licences (so ...
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People
Vodafone people moves: former execs take vendor CxO spots
Recent Vodafone alumni changes include a Syniverse CEO; Avanti CTO; and LogMeIn CISO. Cloud Hosting guru Colin Barrett swaps to IoT in Ireland. Vodafone Albania commercial promotions. More Vi senior leadership changes: CFO out; regional CTO in.
