All articles by Alex Birkhead – Page 2
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Network & Infrastructure
Jansen now sees BT chasing 30 million premises with full-fibre
Extra five million presented as ‘infill’ and presumably more rural. Immediate competitive riposte to news of Virgin Media O2 FTTP retrofit, which it neatly doubles. Jansen says BT not concerned, but challenger altnets should be. No rush for fibre JV partner, but Jansen reveals a UK compatriot would be ...
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Financial & Performance
BT Q1 FY21–22: another toughie, but with promise(s)
Q1 reiterated as a road to a recovery that will materialise in H2. Consumer reviving but Global eponymously damned. Microsoft deal more than slideware. Virgin Media–O2 FTTP investment could be a backhanded compliment and gift to BT.
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People
Vodafone’s Ethiopian OpCo gets a leader
Anwar Soussa takes job as first MD of as-yet-unnamed OpCo. Industry veteran brings M-PESA experience. EOC plans and ownership remain vague.
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Premium
Q4 FY20–21 — Consumer’s sporting chances
Pandemic is serialising Consumer’s A Tale of Three Brands in quarterly instalments. Two steps backward: premium vision at odds with painful realities of ARPU and competitive reality. 2021 bounce (and digitalisation progress) cannot come soon enough, but growth seen backloaded. Latest FTTP chapter set to see retail rivals hitting ...
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Premium
Q4 FY20–21 — Enterprise judders; next stop Shuter’s refit
Hybrid display of worst of Consumer and best of Enterprise. Shuter’s makeover blueprint to be unveiled at Business Briefing. Almost entirely ignored by Jansen and Lowth on analyst’s call.
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Premium
Q4 FY20–21 — Global’s resilience sapped by pandemic
COVID-19 impact hitting more KPIs. Jansen and Lowth retain faith. Growth plans pinned on SD-WAN, managed security, and now 5G FWA.
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Premium
Q4 FY20–21 — Hot property Openreach unruffled as ever
Smoothly navigating fibre, pandemic and all-IP. Gearing up to steamroll the fibre landscape. Altnets seen taking great share of Openreach fibre.
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M&A
BT’s uninvited new co-pilot: what’s Drahi’s mission?
Altice buys minority stake but claims no intention of full-fledged takeover. Seeks to support BT’s strategic fibre, for which Drahi has genuine zeal. BTwatch explores industrial logic and financial machinations behind move.
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Profile
Which Drahi has BT got itself entangled with?
Altice empire expands into UK. Drahi: a fibre visionary or ruthless financer? Does BT investment represent change of tack by rapacious wheeler-dealer?
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Premium
Destination: new BT; ETA 2026
Jansen again evangelising glorious digital future: five-year timescale reiterated, with promises of peak fibre investment passing and financial nirvana arriving. Stability predicted for FY21–22. Investors more interested in gruel on today’s menu rather than jam promised tomorrow. The court of public opinion may ultimately rule on five-year tax dodge. ...
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Premium
BT Q3 FY20–21 results: gone today, (hopefully) here tomorrow
Nobody obviously interested in Q3, but shares down sharply. Calendar of optimism around pandemic bounce back and fresh starts. Jansen despairingly concedes transformation will take at least five years. BT doing best to railroad Ofcom on fibre-critical WFTMR.
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Premium
BT Q4/FY19–20 results first-take: Fixed and 5G leadership at all cost
Refusing to relinquish fixed-line or mobile leadership; not alarmed by O2-Virgin Media combination. Q4 and FY19–20 performance largely ignored (was on track). Cautiously positive on weathering COVID-19 crisis, but great uncertainty. Capex rising to fund uprated fibre ambition and Technology-led transformation — carts before horses? Yet more cost-cutting (or ...
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