UK – Page 22
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M&AVirgin Media O2 has ‘six or seven’ UK altnets on M&A radar
Operator looking at several altnets as acquisition targets, says parent Liberty’s CEO Mike Fries, who predicts UK will end up with “just two networks”.
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Financial & PerformanceBT pensions deficit way down in face of oncoming headwinds
BTPS deficit down more than 50% as management express pleasure with progress towards full funding; de-risking also in full swing, likely of interest to potential investors/takeover bidders…
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M&ATwo down, one to go: Vodafone gets serious about M&A in Italy
H1 FY23–24: CEO Margherita Della Valle signals Italy is next in Group’s “right-sizing” initiative for struggling European markets as strategy in motion for Spain and UK.
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Public AffairsPhones 4u trial: UK MNOs cleared of collusion; appeal possible
Tough ruling for administrators who bet tens of millions on winning vast damages with collusion claim. O2, EE, Vodafone and then-parents Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom and Orange may have dodged biggest hits, but reputational damage could linger. Read more on ruling, backstory, next…
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Network & Infrastructurenexfibre reiterates wholesale fibre ambitions, shares UK-wide build plans
VM O2 wholesale fibre cousin discloses 2024 footprint pipeline; confirms more than half a million premises RFS in year-one. Wholesale remains firmly on agenda, with M&A also on table…
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M&AHelios keeps M&A plans on ice, despite sunny outlook
Middle East and Africa tower group to remain disciplined on deal-making, despite being ahead of the game on leverage reduction and growth.
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Financial & PerformanceJansen concedes losses to altnets as Openreach set to miss annual fibre build target
BT Group CEO Philip Jansen boasts of fibre progress but guidance for coming quarters indicates Openreach will fall short of four million premises passed in the FY; earnings call included a rare admission that Openreach lines are being lost to altnet rivals.
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Network & Infrastructurenexfibre maintains M&A appetite after Upp buy
Mike Fries, CEO of joint venture’s co-parent Liberty Global says fibre builder still “aggressively” focused on M&A.
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Strategy & ChangeUK infra investment group Fern branches out into mobile services
Expansive fibre, energy, and property investor builds an MVNO enablement platform business, targeting high-street retailers and other consumer brands.
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M&AVM O2 in exclusive talks to shed Cornerstone stake morsel — report
Price looks low, albeit for a minority stake, but sellers may be playing control premium long game with likes of Vantage Towers.
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Strategy & ChangeUK Infrastructure Bank keeps watch on ‘stretched’ fibre space
Digital remains a sector of focus for new, state-owned investment house, attracting four more deals and more than £500m of commitments during its last fiscal year.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone urges top operators to shoulder responsibility on scaled open RAN adoption
Vodafone’s Head of Open RAN Francisco Martín Pignatelli emphasises duty of ‘top 20’ operators in supporting smaller players on their “open RAN journey”.
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Venturing & InvestmentsITS bags fresh funding for UK fibre rollout, eyes M&A opportunities
Avenue Capital Group injects £100m of debt funding into B2B-focused altnet.
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Network & InfrastructureUK MNO trio call for deadline extension as Shared Rural Network stagnates
Laggards Three, VM O2, and Vodafone ask for two-year delay to interim timeline to account for claimed planning permissions and pandemic obstacles. EE smugly maintains committment.
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M&ACellnex takes over WHP’s Scottish tower assets
Behind-scenes acquisition sees group become tower partner for Scotland’s publicly-funded 4G rollout initiative.
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Products & Services‘New EE’ partners Apple to elevate TV ambitions
EE TV service announced with Apple as collaborators, moving ‘New EE’ towards B2B2C goals.
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Strategy & ChangeEE spreads its wings with open platform evolution
New platform placed front and centre of “landmark shift” for EE, with likes of consumer electronics, home security, and subscription management available on “open” basis.
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InterviewCEO Interview: CityFibre on M&A watch, competition bottlenecks, BT economic rationale questioned
‘BT’ called out for obstinate, irrational, anti-competitive behaviour that penalises own shareholders — needs to prioritise copper shutdown to deliver fibre payback, and start serving consumers outside Openreach footprint. Also CityFibre’s M&A tracking/ranking and NetCo purism, big-3 ISP lockout, regulator told to keep sharp, and more…
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Financial & PerformanceVirgin Media O2–Tesco joint venture nears £1bn revenue mark
Twenty-year old joint venture, UK’s largest MVNO, posts a jump in sales despite being a rare hold-out on inflation-linked price rises.
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Products & ServicesIn depth: BT’s Kevin Lee on Aimee becoming EE’s AI ‘superhero’
BT Consumer Chief Digital Officer Kevin Lee tells the story of Aimee’s journey from fledgeling with “limited skillset”, to becoming EE’s ‘superhero’. Exec highlights importance of Aimee as a co-pilot for EE customer support, with operator aiming to assist all agent conversations with chatbot beyond 2025.