TelcoTitans Professional: United Group
Overview
United Group is a Southeast European telecoms and media group, built through the consolidation of cable, broadband and pay-TV operators in the former Yugoslavia and now focused on four EU markets: Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia.
- UG is majority-owned by BC Partners and operates a converged model spanning mobile, fibre broadband, TV/content, enterprise services and wholesale infrastructure.
- Formative businesses were SBB in Serbia and Telemach in Slovenia/Bosnia, combined in 2007 and expanded through acquisitions, mobile entry and proprietary pay-TV/media assets such as Total TV and N1.
- Today, the principal consumer brands are Nova in Greece, Vivacom in Bulgaria, and Telemach in Croatia and Slovenia.
- Shared platforms include United Fiber for regional fibre infrastructure, UGI for wholesale connectivity, and United Cloud for technology and digital products.
- The group is simplifying from a historically broad ex-Yugoslav telecoms-and-media portfolio into a capital-intensive, infrastructure-led EU operator.
- Key recent changes include the sale of Serbian operations and the planned disposal of the Adria News Network (home to brands including N1 and Nova S), leaving telecoms, fibre and B2B/wholesale as the core strategic focus.
Profile update: August 2026.
TelcoTitans Professional coverage + analysis:
-
PeoplewatchDigital Infra Peoplewatch: Cellnex names new regional execs; LightSpeed refreshes wholesale line-up
July 2026–August 2026 edition: 25+ senior and strategic leadership changes in EMEA digital infra, including new appointments at Cellnex Group and its Polish division, Green Datacenters names new execs ahead of European expansion, and LightSpeed fills out senior wholesale and enterprise team.
-
M&ATowerco TAWAL said to eye Mobily mast buy in prep for IPO
Saudi wireless infra player reportedly looking to snap up Mobily tower assets, the latest in a string of acquisitions to expand its portfolio and international presence. Move comes as Mobily stakeholder e& reportedly reviewing exits from other assets to refocus on ‘core’ telecoms business…
-
Network & InfraGreece: Vodafone, PPC weigh JV to build new fibreco leader
Market analysis: Fibreco combo could reshape market and establish a scaled wholesale challenger to DT-backed incumbent OTE and accelerate momentum in a market that has long lagged behind European FTTP progress.
-
Products & ServicesTelefónica expands sovereignty push with ‘data space’ platform
Telefónica Tech throws DataSphere into the mix of its expanding B2B, ‘sovereign’ services portfolio. Platform aims to help businesses ensure shared data remains secure, building on prior work to develop data spaces across Europe…
-
M&ATalk of Greek infra mega-merger played down
State utility PPC denies suggestions it is in talks over a deal that could turbo-charge its recent assault on the Greek telecoms market.
-
Network & InfraGreek infra: OTE comes to rescue on gov broadband scheme
Deutsche Telekom’s Greek business takes on full responsibility for delivering the country’s Ultra-Fast Broadband Infrastructure programme as fellow provider Terna Fiber pulls out. Move provides continuity for government plan to bring high-speed links to more than 850,000 rural premises…
-
Network & InfraGreek fibre: United scores 2025 goals
Fibre business of regional telco player United Group outperforms footprint expansion target for 2025.
-
Network & InfraGreece: Energy group PPC targets top spot on fibre
State-owned utility expands ambitious and disruptive fibre expansion plan that would see it overtake incumbent telco on footprint in next two-to-three years.
-
PeoplewatchDeutsche Telekom Peoplewatch: Group extracts EU execs to push IT meld
The latest strategic and senior changes at Deutsche Telekom see systems consolidation-focused operator looking to build up its central, Europe technology function with the extraction of multiple senior execs from Hrvatski Telekom and Magyar Telekom. Elsewhere, DT appoints a new Chief Networks Officer and former senior technology figures Claudia Nemat and Kim Kyllesbech Larsen take on new jobs.
-
PeoplewatchUnited Group recruits DT tech veteran as CTIO
United Group appoints Kim Kyllesbech Larsen as technology and information chief, with CEO Stan Miller highlighting his “proven track record” in business transformation and tech strategy development. The move follows a series of changes at United Group earlier in 2025…
-
M&AGreece looks to reboot rural fibre scheme with OTE-Terna takeover
Deutsche Telekom’s Greek business set to take over Terna Fiber, a venture that alongside OTE, took responsibility for supporting the government’s rural fibre build programme, but has been quiet on progress …
-
Network & InfraGreece’s United Fiber highlights build progress
Fibre business of regional telco player United Group reports acceleration of rollout in first few months of this year, as end-2026 target nears.
-
PeoplewatchMagyar Telekom selects CEO of wireless infra carve-out
Hungarian operator names wholesale expert Sándor Markovics CEO of planned tower spin-off after shareholders voted for the creation of the new unit at a recent EGM.
-
Analyst BriefingEMEA Infrawatch Briefing: tower sell-offs, DC deployments, orbital experiments
Cellnex CEO Marco Patuano says the TowerCo is one step closer to selling its Swiss business and French data centre assets. Meanwhile, IHS Towers forks off Rwandan unit to newly formed tower player. In the space sector, several players look to get D2D services off the ground, while others tinker with new space comms solutions.
-
M&ATAWAL is possible suitor for DT’s latest tower spin-outs
Acquisitive Saudi tower group TAWAL is still keen on M&A in central and eastern Europe and has Deutsche Telekom’s newly carved out masts in its sights.
-
Network & InfraOrange’s Leboucher joins peers in drilling down on industry’s need for 6GHz
Orange CTO joins peers at BT, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and more to argue that the whole of the upper 6GHz band should be devoted to mobile to enable 6G.
-
Network & InfraLease aggregators defend role in telecoms infra as TowerCos call for regulation
As land access continues to be contentious for telecoms infrastructure, lease aggregators seek distance from bad actors that engage in speculative buying and opportunistic pricing.
-
Strategy & ChangeGreek utility progresses disruptive full-fibre power-play
Energy group PPC reports acceleration of fibre rollout as its builds power infrastructure-based challenge to incumbent OTE Group.
-
InterviewInterview: telcos’ watchdog boss on efforts to keep suppliers in line on CSR
Vodafone’s Paras Shah, Chairman of CSR-focused telco association JAC, speaks to TelcoTitans about how its effort to monitor supply chain resilience and risk is going deeper and broader as signs emerge that operators’ supply chains are starting to diversify.
-
Network & InfraDT’s wireless infra masterplan progresses in Greece
Greek incumbent OTE flags board approval for creation of new TowerCo, following review.