UK – Page 10
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Financial & Performance
BT 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&A
Two 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 Affairs
Phones 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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Financial & Performance
BT’s Jansen bows out, buoyant as ever: hints of recovery, decimated valuation
H1 FY23–24: CEO Philip Jansen’s final earnings call brings a workmanlike set of results with some bright spots to give reason enough to gloat, but slow progress on B2B turnaround and dragging fibre build indicate scale of challenge for successor Allison Kirkby.
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Network & Infrastructure
nexfibre 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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Financial & Performance
H1 FY23–24: BT Consumer convergence dreams yet to manifest
Increase in Consumer broadband and mobile ARPU positioned as a key highlight for first half of the year, but more to be done on convergence — increasingly seen as a key focus for driving Consumer revenue growth.
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Financial & Performance
Spend: BT expenses rise despite cost-cutting focus
BT H1 FY23–24: Operating expenditure continued to grow but capital outlay brought under control.
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Financial & Performance
Headlines: BT hits stride as key financials see growth
BT H1 FY23–24: Growth in revenue and EBITDA make for positive reading, but the usual Business drag brings numbers down.
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Financial & Performance
Guidance: outlook reaffirmed as Jansen claims a job well done
H1 FY23–24: CEO claims to have set BT up for momentum towards longer-term targets thanks to strategic focus on network investment.
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M&A
Helios 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 & Performance
Jansen 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 & Infrastructure
nexfibre 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 & Change
UK 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&A
VM 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 & Change
UK 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 & Infrastructure
Vodafone 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 & Investments
ITS 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 & Infrastructure
UK 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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Premium
Telefónica people moves: Tech names new AI and big data lead
Telefónica Tech shuffles business intelligence and big data managers.
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M&A
Cellnex takes over WHP’s Scottish tower assets
Behind-scenes acquisition sees group become tower partner for Scotland’s publicly-funded 4G rollout initiative.