UK – Page 7
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M&A
Virgin Media O2 still eyeing altnet buys despite pressing pause on NetCo plan
Virgin Media O2 remains hungry for fibre altnet M&A while its NetCo sale plans are put on ice and its own fibre build rate cools off this year.
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Venturing & Investments
Actis looks for emerging infra opportunities after closing $1.7bn fund
London-based infrastructure investment group eyes fresh opportunities in digital infra (among other sectors) after closing latest fund, with focus on businesses in Asia, EMEA, and Latin America…
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Analyst Briefings
UK Infrawatch Briefing: altnets prove worth, AI plans develop, nexfibre stalls
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: UK MVNO market reinvigorated by challengers; Kao Data schmoozes with DSIT; a £70m network upgrade contract floated in Wales; people moves; and plenty more…
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M&A
Virgin Media O2, Daisy combine in B2B in hunt for growth
Operator to merge enterprise and IT services segments with Daisy, creating a new joint venture to serve “hundreds of thousands” of UK administrations and businesses. VM O2 CEO Lutz Schüler says move marks a “big step forward” in improving B2B performance…
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People
Vodafone scouts for new CFO as Luka Mucic steps down
Group finance chief set to exit for German real estate firm Vonovia, after two years as Margherita Della Valle’s right hand man.
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Financial & Performance
UK FibreCo Netomnia seeks positive EBITDA in 2025 after fundraise
Jeremy Chelot, CEO at UK fibre builder Netomnia, claims it is “poised” to achieve positive EBITDA in 2025, as well as to reach its end-of-year fibre rollout target of three million premises passed.
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Analyst Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: legacy infra winds down; next-gen tech spins up
Latest from BT as it charges on with legacy network migrations, looks for new ways of monetising old assets, and prepares to build infra fit for an AI future; Better Workplace signed off with Manchester office opening; another multimillion-pound Project Gigabit subsidy secured, this time in Scotland; and a series of strategically significant personnel changes across the Group…
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Interview
A telco win-win: TXO adds ‘scale and breadth’ to network circularity proposition
In-depth: ‘A local business gone global’: Wales’ green dragon adds heft in US, following recent Europe and APAC expansion — extending bid to scale circular economy leadership and portfolio in global telco network supply and infrastructure value chain…
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Strategy & Change
VM O2 slams brakes on NetCo fundraise amidst Telefónica strategy hiatus (nexfibre curtailed, too)
Plans to sell stake in NetCo spinout paused, as co-parent Liberty looks to “align” with partner Telefónica’s new management. nexfibre build also dramatically slowed to maintain “capital discipline” in UK’s “increasingly irrational” fibre market. Meanwhile, Netomnia raises new funds, ups target by another two millions homes…
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Eventwatch
Digital Voice: BT dials up VM O2, gov to help reboot ‘beyond painful’ migration
With POTS shutdown a strategic financial imperative, BT belatedly embraces collaboration to reach remaining two million (many vulnerable) analogue subscribers, as the already delayed digital landline switchover deadline looms…
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Network & Infra
Openreach banks £157m subsidy for Scottish fibre build
BT’s wholesale access arm confirms latest Project Gigabit regional contract as it continues to stack up government grants for fibre notspots and chase near-£1bn-scale BDUK jackpot. Builds on controversial £600m, Scottish R100 awards…
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Analyst Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: AI agents put to task
Latest from Vodafone as the Group’s AI strategy fills out; several Business deals in Europe, Africa, and further afield; and a view from the Group and its peers as geopolitics shake up the industry…
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Network & Infra
BT exploring Edge DC play via towers arm
With the decommissioning of copper networks and a focus on AI-ready infrastructure, BT is investigating edge data centres amongst new commercial models for its tower and exchange assets. Explore the strategic implications (including reporting from TowerXchange Europe)…
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Public Affairs
UK’s AI Growth Zone strategy — fit for purpose?
In-depth: As the UK government opens up its AI Growth Zone initiative for formal applications, industry leaders debate the value, variously describing it as everything from ‘ridiculous’ to ‘ambitious’, and running the risk of ‘fetishising’ location and creating a ‘real mess’, as well as presenting opportunity for the UK on a global stage. Includes reporting from Connected North…
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Operations
Better Workplace: BT closes out five-year real estate overhaul programme
Group closes the Better Workplace book, with Manchester’s newest office redevelopment the final chapter.
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Analyst Briefings
UK Infrawatch Briefing: altnets and Openreach square up, data centres spread out
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: data centres embrace regional opportunities; overbuild threats loom; a closer‑than‑expected scale fibre platform; people moves; plenty more…
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B2B
One Touch Switching gathers momentum as attention turns to enterprise
Connected North: TOTSCo CEO Paul Bradbury talks up first several months of OTS in action, with lessons and technology now being put to use in enterprise switching trials.
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Financial & Performance
Cost leadership key as UK FibreCo Grain sows seeds of profitability
Connected North: Grain CEO Richard Cameron positions “cost leadership” as the key to long‑term success for a consolidating and converging altnet sector, following positive earnings in most recent quarter.
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Eventwatch
Kao Data looks north for UK data centre expansion
Connected North 2025: Kao commercial chief Spencer Lamb says it is assessing multiple sites in north-western England to expand its data centre estate, as London power and land bottlenecks persist…
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Eventwatch
Openreach and altnet ‘Gladiators’ trade blows on future costs of PIA
Connected North 2025: In robust exchanges at Connected North, Fibrus Chair warns regulator is on the verge of repeating mistakes of the past on PIA pricing, and too easily steered off course on policy.