UK – Page 8
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Network & Infrastructure
CityFibre adds ‘kingmaker’ Sky in fibre wholesale offensive
UK’s largest altnet signs wholesale deal with Sky, making a dent in Openreach dominance and pushing further the claim of genuine competition to the incumbent. Sky commits to rental economics, while CityFibre leverages Project Gigabit fame to help ISPs to new full-fibre markets…
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Network & Infrastructure
Trooli CEO: UK’s Project Gigabit scheme will ‘come into its own’
Talking to Zen’s Richard Tang, Trooli CEO Andy Conibere praised the work of the government’s BDUK in stimulating an altnet industry.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: fibre routes to retail; TalkTalk’s latest rejig; Asia’s infra ownership overhaul
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including TalkTalk’s last-minute refinancing, investment boosts for the satellite sector, Japan’s moves towards greater infrastructure sharing, and plenty more…
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Strategy & Change
India’s Bharti steps in as BT’s new largest shareholder
BT Group reunited with 1990s partner, but this time as junior, with new India connection talked up. Investment anchored as ‘vote of confidence’ in CEO Allison Kirkby’s strategy. Road to regulatory approval appears relatively smooth. More on Altice retreat…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: Italian infra on the up; Project Gigabit preps leap forward; Macquarie comes and goes
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond; including INWIT prepping for Italian investment boost; Indus Towers finally getting paid; claims that UK PIA oversight is MIA; latest people moves; and plenty more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Short-term delays in NI, but Project Gigabit readying for leap forward across devolved nations
Northern Ireland Executive confirms slight delay in procurement, but confident Project Stratum success can be replicated as paths cleared for Project Gigabit progress in Scotland, Wales…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: CEO claims ‘solid start’ but warns of tumultuous year to come
Latest from BT and its interests, including: a Q1 report that tees up plenty of turbulence to come, but with a recovery scheduled within the next 18 months; a massive ESN contract in the works with BT despite equally substantial delays in recent years; and new digs for the former CEO…
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Network & Infrastructure
EE handed £1.85bn ESN top-up, 5G SA upgrade
UK Home Office to award massive Emergency Services Network transition contract. ’Progress’ so far blocks competition and earns EE the deal, despite ten-year, £10bn+ programme delay…
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Venturing & Investments
UK Infrastructure Bank gives fibre sector another financial leg-up
National infra financing organisation backs another rural fibre altnet as Quickline secures a £250m debt package to support rollout in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
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Partnerships & Alliances
More the merrier: Vodafone and VM O2 add Cellnex to infra-sharing refresh
Freshly renewed infrastructure buddies agree “long-term” deal to access InfraCo’s UK passive tower assets and services. Deal aimed at driving efficiencies, enabling future network scaling. Latest move in Cellnex’s regional consolidation future-proofing…
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Network & Infrastructure
BT lands 5G role in UK film and tech scheme
BT wins million-pound deal to provide 5G private network to support national labs for virtual production R&D.
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People
Ex-BT CEO Philip Jansen named WPP chair
Advertising giant WPP appoints Jansen to Non-Exec Chair role, amidst rumours of Rentokil buyout…
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Network & Infrastructure
Project Gigabit future: UK FibreCos say yes to expansion, but with caveats
Mooted bundling of Project Gigabit mega-contracts gets firm ‘no’ from altnet INCA gathering, but most on board for programme extension. New Labour government urged to protect and evolve rural fibre build to reach final few per cent of rural premises, learn from ‘zany’ Scotland, or risk missing FTTP targets. And then there’s that Type C elephant (not) in the room, Openreach…
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Financial & Performance
Virgin Media O2 scopes out investment partners for 2025 NetCo launch
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says it is looking to finalise financing details this year to bring VM O2’s NetCo online. NetCo progress and fibre build-out puts a cheery note on VM O2’s further weakened performance in Q2, which prompted tweak to financial forecast…
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People
Tesco Mobile draws new finance chief from parent Virgin Media O2
Matt Ward takes up the mantle as Tesco Mobile’s CFO.
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Venturing & Investments
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…
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Financial & Performance
Openreach hits halfway mark in UK fibre mega-project
15 million premises now sit within the Openreach FTTP footprint, on track for 30 million by 2030, but a productivity boost is needed if it is to hit its 2026 interim target…
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People
BT tech veterans reunite at M&S
BT’s Chief Architect Josie Smith has started a new role as CTO for food and fashion retailer Marks & Spencer.
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Venturing & Investments
Gov-backed UK Infrastructure Bank provides funding to another rural FibreCo
Cornish Wildanet attracts £35m investment from UKIB, days after the bank ploughed £150m into Hyperoptic.
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M&A
G.Network: London FibreCo being prepped for trade sale?
Sky News reported anonymous sources claiming the sizeable London fibre provider has hired bankers after being approached by potential buyers. Investors USS and Cube recently rejigging. Potential compatible buyers identified…