UK – Page 3
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M&AUK’s AllPoints reinforces wholesale shift with Cuckoo divestment
Altnet furthers transition from fibre builder to wholesale aggregator by offloading one of its two consumer ISPs. Deal sees AllPoints sign up another customer to growing aquila platform, as it moves to commercialise its fibre infrastructure…
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Strategy & ChangeArch-disruptor Digi teases UK landfall — is £15 fibre here to stay?
In depth: expansive Romanian telco disruptor teases ultra-low pricing that has shaken up EU markets and now threatens to redraw UK fibre market’s economics and put further pressure on already fragile altnet ARPU… next stop mobile?
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: Chelot’s ‘Plan B’; Boldyn’s new underground deal; all change at AllPoints
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, as Netomnia’s Chelot talks nexfibre merger plans, wireless infra players thrive, APFN under new management, and plenty more…
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Network & InfraBoldyn heads underground to help bring UK’s ESN online
Boldyn further expands its 4G infrastructure in the London Underground to support the Home Office’s long-delayed ESN project, in collaboration with EE and TfL. Move sees the neutral host provider expand its portfolio of ‘specialised’ connectivity infra…
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Financial & PerformanceEuropean fibrecos warned of ‘enormous’ 2027 debt crunch
Europe’s fibre industry is heading into a critical two-year period with half of all fibreco debt due, warns ING’s Jeroen Kleinjan. Rising geopolitical tensions and fears over inflation and competition from other digital infra asset classes could hinder altnets’ ability to overcome a looming ‘refinancing wall’.
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InterviewChelot: wholesale scale is ‘mission impossible’ without nexfibre-Netomnia deal
Interview: “I have a wholesale platform, but I have no wholesale customers”. Jeremy Chelot’s Netomnia hit a structural ceiling, with bowing out the only way to progress the Openreach challenge. Firing back at nexfibre deal critics, he asks for alternatives to his Plan B, deeming consolidation the best route and reflecting on the challenge of leading a business through a sale.
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: OpenAI infra platform stalls; £1bn altnet haircuts; Gamma growth plans
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: signs of trouble for UK data centre build plans, investors bite the bullet on altnet valuations, Gamma plans for future as acquisition rumours build, and plenty more…
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Strategy & ChangeUK’s Digital 9 enters ‘next phase’ of prolonged wind-down
Troubled investment group continues efforts to eke out value from its remaining digital infra assets, advancing its long-running wind-down process. However, future of broadcast infra player Arqiva remains a significant source of uncertainty, and D9 concedes it may not complete its sell-off plans for another three years…
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PeoplewatchLondon altnet G.Network fills out post-administration exec team
UK fibreco appoints commercial, financial, and operational leaders after emerging from administration. Returning CEO David Sangster says management revamp will help “accelerate growth”.
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Network & InfraOpenreach hoovers up more Project Gigabit deals after altnets pull out
Openreach picks up subsidised build after Freedom Fibre and FullFibre withdraw. Move comes as altnets continue to pull out of Project Gigabit arrangements amidst financial constraints…
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Financial & PerformanceMacquarie takes a hit as it considers KCOM exit
Investment group writes down more than half a billion pounds on Hull-based operator as reports swirl of imminent sale.
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Financial & PerformanceUK fibre: lenders seize control of Gigaclear following debt restructure, Infracapital wipeout
In depth: rural provider handed over to lenders in sweeping recapitalisation, following £0.5bn+ debt and equity write-down, with cashflow inflection point said to be on the horizon. Investors zeroed out, following abandoned trade sale, with spotlight also on National Wealth Fund sector exposure…
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OperationsOpenreach onboards AI agents in bid to cut missed appointments
Customer service lead Chris Herbert talks up ‘unified, proactive, AI-powered’ customer engagement strategy, underpinned by NiCE agents.
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: CityFibre questions nexfibre maths; data centres earn investment boost
Analyst Briefing: Exclusive first interview with CityFibre CEO as altnet and peers prepare for life under new TAR rules; NScale backed for UK growth; Starlink reliance prompts worries; and plenty more…
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Network & InfraEE refreshes ESN fleet with Starlink connectivity
Operator rolls out upgrades its rapid response vehicle fleet with Starlink LEO service onboard as it looks to build Emergency Services Network resilience.
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Network & InfraUK’s long-delayed ESN gets a new set of ‘realistic but ambitious’ targets
The oft-criticised Emergency Services Network is now expected to go ‘live’ in mid-2028, with a mass transition not set to complete until 2030 — more than a decade behind schedule. EE and IBM claim significant progress, however, and Home Office assures latest dates are within reason…
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M&ALiberty’s Fries dismisses CityFibre ‘sour grapes’ over £2bn nexfibre bulk-up
UK altnet tensions continue to heighten over the competitive implications of planned acquisition of Substantial Group, as Liberty Global CEO hits back at CityFibre over calls for in-depth CMA inquiry.
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Suppliers & SCMOpenreach taps Google Cloud for fleet migration, fibre planning
Suite of Google Cloud platforms and tools support Openreach’s fibre-building machine, ‘optimising’ the EV fleet and streamlining network planning.
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Strategy & ChangeLondon fibreco G.Network emerges from administration debt-free
B2B-focused altnet appoints new CEO, having “successfully reorganised”. The altnet now aims to accelerate take-up over its infra…
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InterviewIrrational and anti-competitive: CityFibre CEO urges CMA scrutiny of nexfibre-Netomnia-VM O2 consolidation play
Exclusive: In his first interview as CEO, Simon Holden unpacks Ofcom’s TAR framework and why the Competition and Markets Authority must intervene in the contentious £2bn nexfibre–Netomnia merger to protect infrastructure competition and prevent re-emergence of duopoly stagnation.