All United Kingdom (UK) articles
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M&A
‘We need to get on with it’: nexfibre boss wants to see altnet acquisition action
Fibreco chief suggests some investors will have to swallow losses on altnets as the industry goes into consolidation mode.
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Analyst Briefings
UK Infrawatch analyst briefing: write-down worries, results revelations, Openreach outrage
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: altnet debt reality bites, rivals sideswiped by Openreach discounts, CityFibre contract gains, and plenty more…
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Suppliers & SCM
Vodafone elects winning quartet in diluted RAN mega-tender
Vendor foursome reel off Vodafone RAN wins as the Group’s long-awaited Spring 6 procurement closes out, short of expectations but set to propel operator towards open RAN at scale by 2030.
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Financial & Performance
As lenders wobble on UK fibre, should altnets brace for potential write-downs?
FTTH Congress CEE: ING warns that lender peers are weighing up debt write-downs as UK and European fibrecos fail to deliver on business case promises. Altnet leaders warn that investors are ‘scarred’ by past shortcomings, but can be reconvinced…
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Financial & Performance
BT drones investment Altitude Angel becomes latest Etc. venture to fall
Industry reacts as Altitude Angel appoints administrators, raises questions about airspace security, two years after BT’s £5m investment…
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Network & Infra
Openreach expands role as Project Gigabit contract sweeper-upper
Openreach picks up Project Gigabit premises previously allocated to UK altnet Voneus, seeing the incumbent add another lot of homes to its Call-Off collection…
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People
Telefónica Peoplewatch: new era dawns at O2; Innovation Digital goes ‘cutting edge’
The latest strategic and senior changes at Telefónica, including news that long-serving Germany chief Markus Haas is stepping down after nearly a decade in the job, and just months after signing a new deal…
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Network & Infra
Virgin Media O2 pursues faster fibre build with upskilling scheme
The Single Visit Install programme speeds up fibre installations for nexfibre customers, part of a wider VM O2 initiative to transform customer experience and fix historic negative feedback.
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Public Affairs
India considers Vi reprieve to promote UK trade, foster relations — report
Vodafone-backed Indian operator Vi may benefit from UK-India trade negotiations as reports emerge that the New Delhi government may waive some debts.
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People
BT Peoplewatch: European rollback leads to regional leadership swaps
25+ senior and strategic changes at BT/Openreach, including senior swaps at BT Sourced; another series of brand and marketing appointments at Group-level; and new BT International regional leads following Retelit’s Italia acquisition…
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Analyst Briefings
Telefónicawatch Analyst Briefing: Murtra wants a New Deal on new deals
The latest news and developments from around Telefónica, as Executive Chair Marc Murtra reiterates call for European authorities to free telcos to merge, and gain scale against global rivals. Unions, meanwhile, begin to take an interest in what the operator’s coming strategy refresh could mean for its workforce in Spain. Read more…
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Public Affairs
‘Enormously aggressive’: nexfibre leads altnet complaints against Openreach copper-to-fibre discounting
Connected Britain 2025: As Openreach pulls levers to combat massive broadband losses, and drive fibre adoption alongside, altnet leaders have called out the discount pricing strategy as unsustainable. nexfibre execs have called it an exploitation of the incumbent’s significant market powers, CityFibre warns of structure advantage, plus views from other altnets, rivals…
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Analyst Briefings
BTwatch Analyst Briefing: CEO issues warning ahead of Budget, regulatory review
Latest from BT as CEO Allison Kirkby raises concern at the tax burden and regulatory red-tape faced by UK infra owners; Openreach crosses 20 million prems milestone; Netomnia boss eyes scaled BT challenge; more from around the Group…
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Network & Infra
BT targets lead in UK’s 5G standalone coverage race
Operator unveils technology and coverage ambitions behind its 5G SA rollout, including headline target to hit 99% population coverage in 2030. Move positions BT to become first UK operator to reach this target, although rivals have updated on their own plans to accelerate rollout…
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People
Katherine Ainley exits Ericsson after five years as UK&I CEO
Ex-BT exec departs the vendor with claims of a job well done: UK business grows, major 5G deals signed.
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Network & Infra
Extra millions flow to UK fibrecos as Project Gigabit contracts updated
CityFibre once again sees a boost to a Project Gigabit contract value as Leicestershire & Warwickshire deal is updated and geographically expanded, becoming the latest fibreco to benefit from Project Gigabit perimeter adjustments…
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Eventwatch
Industry maps next steps for UK’s One Touch Switch
Connected Britain 2025: TOTSCo to focus on two key areas over the next year to further improve and streamline OTS, with BT, Hyperoptic, and Grain Connect among those highlighting the system’s consequences and potential improvements…
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Innovation
Openreach taps VR startup for 3D fibre planning
Openreach adds another weapon to its fibre building arsenal through Glasgow startup, using VR mapping to accelerate the cable routing process.
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Strategy & Change
From upstart to fibre-mobile powerhouse: Netomnia CEO plots BT take-down
Connected Britain: Jeremy Chelot refreshes provocative vision for fibreco segment, with fixed-mobile convergence latest outcome of choice. The ultimate prize could be a scaled altnet merging with VodafoneThree, or a new MNO — creating a new heavyweight contender to BT/Openreach…
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Strategy & Change
Grain skewers wholesale model as altnets ponder consolidation
At Connected Britain the UK’s largest fibre platforms called on investors and smaller players to accept the inevitability of consolidation. Niche challenger Grain rebutted the assumption that scale is now critical, and instead called into question the foundations of current wholesale‑led models.