All United Kingdom (UK) articles
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PeoplewatchSchulman’s knife: BT procurement star looks Verizon-bound, supporting massive ‘turnaround’
In-depth: Verizon seems to be adding another European Galactico to its team, tapping BT Sourced founder Cyril Pourrat to spearhead a massive efficiency drive. New CEO Dan Schulman is targeting rapid elimination of $4bn in capex and $5bn in opex, and deployment of automation at scale. Pourrat offers battle-tested digital procurement strategies to a US-supersize turnaround story…
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Financial & PerformanceNetomnia joins exclusive list of £100m+ revenue UK fibre altnets
Altnet’s revenue tips into nine figures for FY25, and tops three million RFS premises, to join a trio of other challengers at the top.
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PeoplewatchBT’s procurement chief Cyril Pourrat readies for exit
Five years after founding arms-length buying business BT Sourced, Cyril Pourrat prepares to move on. BT understood to opt against a direct replacement…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch: connecting rural reaches, shuttering legacy
Analyst Briefing: EE signals confidence in latest Emergency Services Network update; Openreach advances exchange closure programme; Business signs multimillion-pound deals; progress made on Project Gigabit…
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B2BBT bags £200m NI deal as ‘pipeline’ begins to deliver
After CEO Allison Kirkby touts ‘robust pipeline’ of deals incoming, BT confirms £200m NIE Networks managed networks contract…
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone a “frontrunner” partner as Ericsson seeks new opportunities in “flattish” RAN market
In depth: Upbeat Ericsson management present FY25 earnings complete with organic growth and progress in efficiency programmes. CSPs said to be willing to invest despite muted RAN outlook, as Vodafone namechecked for its ‘physical AI’ groundwork…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: lenders steel for losses; altnets in chart success; ITS shows B2B potential
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including Gigaclear lenders take action, Netomnia and Toob lead altnets in Times tech list, EE updates on ESN, and plenty more…
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Suppliers & SCMTelcos face multibillion-euro rip-and-replace project as Brussels moves to ban high-risk vendors
In depth: European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen considers the time is now to take network supply chain security “seriously”, laying out proposals to ban vendors deemed ‘high-risk’. Network operators stand to foot a multibillion-euro rip-and-replace bill, with some only recently signing kit deals with Chinese suppliers…
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Network & InfraEE closes in on Emergency Services Network coverage target
EE’s ESN delivery lead Tomas Vanderick tees up imminent network rollout milestone, and charts a course to full service ready launch via capacity and resilience stress tests. With indoor rollout beginning this year, and capacity testing at major events, the long-delayed programme is finally approaching operational readiness, but risks remain…
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Financial & PerformanceUK fibre: lenders seizing control at Gigaclear, to pursue sale — report
In depth: For the second time already in 2026, creditors look set to seize a beleaguered UK fibreco, again with trade consolidator no-show cited and equity investors squeezed out. Rural altnet heavily debt-laden but also boasts interesting KPIs, so could still turn some heads, if the price is right…
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PeoplewatchTelefónica Peoplewatch: sustainability, security switches
The latest strategic and senior changes at Telefónica, as the Group sees departures of decarbonisation boss and lead on security products at Telefónica Tech.
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Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: M&A ripples in Europe, debt reprieve in India
Analyst Briefing: European M&A, some of Vodafone’s own making, shifts the Partner Markets landscape; AGR pressure lifted for Vi as India’s gov commits to reassessment; and reports suggest change in the office for OXG Glasfaser ownership…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch: getting savvy with data and AI
Analyst Briefing: AI in focus, as ever, as BT appoints a new exec to ‘enable and scale’ the tech across the Group; Openreach turns 20 and boasts of a full-fibre coming-of-age; BT Wholesale puts roaming eSIMs on the radar for MVNO business…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: consolidation gathers steam; industrial Wi Fi expansion; KKR backs UK data centres
Analyst Briefing: Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: ‘aggressive’ new ownership at G.Network, Truespeed flirts with Freedom, GTR secures expansion war chest, and plenty more…
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M&AIndra salvages former BT drone investment Altitude Angel
Spanish defence group buys drone traffic management platform from Altitude Angel, following the provider’s fall into administration, with aim to strengthen UK presence and aerospace portfolio…
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Venturing & InvestmentsKKR, Oak Hill funnel $1.9bn into European data centre platform
Private equity duo commit additional capital to Global Technical Realty, seeking to fuel expansion in new and existing European markets. The financing sees KKR continue its multi-billion bet on data centres…
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Analyst BriefingVodafonewatch: getting back to venturing
Analyst Briefing: Vodafone rekindles an interest in venturing with planned Cohere Technologies stake purchase; suffers legal and regulatory headaches in the British Isles; and rings in the New Year with a series of senior and strategic exec moves…
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Analyst BriefingBTwatch: pulling back stateside to sharpen B2B focus
Analyst Briefing: the Group’s overseas B2B rethink claims another victim as BT Federal gets sold off; a wave of senior leadership shifts to close out 2025; and BT reflects on MPN successes, looks forward to quantum’s move from theory to reality, and tees up XGS-PON testing for next-gen networks…
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M&ALondon fibre shake-up: ‘aggressive’ ex Macquarie investors swoop on distressed G.Network
In-depth: £500m later, lender patience exhausted, and investors sidestepped — London altnet falls into hands of FitzWalter. As ‘ruthless’ distressed asset specialist swoops on unloved fibre builder, TelcoTitans considers whether bold move signals long-awaited reality check for UK fibre valuations and consolidation…
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M&AFederal becomes latest unit to go in BT’s international retreat
The Group continues CEO Allison Kirkby’s business-to-business rationalisation push by offloading US government contracting subsidiary, but touts plans to retain a “strong presence” in the country.