All articles by Cameron Page – Page 9
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Financial & Performance
Infra investors line up for stake in Virgin Media O2’s new NetCo
Q1 FY24: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says Boston Consultancy Group and Deloitte hired for financial and project planning, as investors appear interested in fibre spin-out plans. Despite confidence in fibre growth opportunity, VM O2’s fixed customer base declined in an overall uneasy quarter for the operator…
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Network & Infrastructure
O2 Germany, Samsung switch on first ‘commercial’ ORAN site
Deployment marks first of eight planned ORAN and vRAN sites in Landsberg am Lech, as O2 seeks to enable automation, accelerate infra rollout, and enable use-cases for businesses. Move plays into Telefónica’s wider capital intensity reduction strategy. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Spain’s telcos and TowerCos mull next steps, post-Orange-MÁSMÓVIL merger
Market dynamics continue to shift following Orange-MÁSMÓVIL merger completion, as Spanish government continues building stake in Group, while Cellnex addresses challenges of integrating Orange and MÁSMÓVIL’s networks. Elsewhere: Movistar extends AT&T Mexico capacity access deal; VM O2 said to eye up potential KCOM acquisition…
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom live with AI-based RAN “sleep mode” efficiency trials
FutureNet World: cost and sustainability benefits of tests flagged. Part of wider AI strategy, with other efficiency applications at various stages of testing…
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M&A
Spain continues Telefónica share buy-up, reaching 6%
Further purchase from SEPI widens government’s lead as telco’s largest stakeholder, and marks continuation of wider plan to shore up national influence in the operator and defend strategic assets from foreign investors. Read more…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica launches ‘quantum-safe’ IoT connectivity
Operator partners IDEMIA and Quside to offer quantum-based security services for enterprises in the IoT sector. Move adds to security push through B2B digital services unit, with potential to enable expansion of open API rollout…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: UK alt-fibre rallying cry, fixed value extraction, and 6G discipline
Leaders from across the Group converge at various industry events, highlighting key issues and challenges faced in B2B and fixed network segments. Elsewhere, continued O2 stakebuilding; people changes at fibre and tower JVs; Digi still undecided on roaming provider…
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People
Telefónica Peoplewatch: fresh leaders appointed at fibre and tower JVs
Virgin Media O2’s Cornerstone tower JV with Vodafone UK poaches new commercial and sales chief from Boldyn, Germany’s Unsere Grüne Glasfaser names new IT director, more from across the Telefónica ecosystem…
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M&A
Telefónica grows O2 Germany stake to 97%
Group splashes a further €175m on opportunistic stake increase, bringing total spend on O2 shares over last six months beyond €2bn. Move chimes with Group strategy to increase exposure to “attractive and stable” German market, while aiding O2 with strategic recalibration…
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Eventwatch
Telefónica’s Rao warns against 6G jump before realising 5G’s B2B potential
FutureNet World: O2 Germany CTIO cautions telcos against jumping into 6G too quickly and calls for improvements in enterprise sector to close gap between potential and realised revenue growth. Read more, including further views from BT and Three UK…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Spain continues stakebuilding; Group gets bogged down with brand legals
Spanish government brings itself level with CriteriaCaixa as Telefónica’s largest shareholder, increasing stake (through SEPI) to 5%. Elsewhere, Group gets to working through ‘huge’ DT brand dispute file dump; Virgin Media O2 taps Starlink for rural connectivity boost; Group seeks to keep closer watch on AI impact…
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Financial & Performance
Spain continues to build Telefónica buffer, increasing stake to 5%
Government increases shareholding in the operator by 2%, quickly following up acquisition of a 3% stake in March 2024.
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Network & Infrastructure
Virgin Media O2 turns to Starlink for UK rural boost
Operator to use low-Earth orbit backhaul in an effort to bolster its rural connectivity, as progress on meeting Shared Rural Network deadlines has lagged…
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Public Affairs
Telefónica Peru hands over €345m to end 20-year tax dispute
Operating business set to pay €345m to national tax agency, bringing an end to long-running case that has served as a source of uncertainty for Group’s strategic direction in a competitive and economically challenging market…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Shareholder dance continues with growing Spanish flavour; O2 presses on with 5G experiments
Spanish banking foundation pops up as Telefónica top shareholder, as Spanish government seperately said to be seeking spot on board as it builds its own national interest stake. Elsewhere: O2 gets 5G projects on the move; refinancing in Peru; VM O2 resumes digital landline project…
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Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica makes grab for MásOrange 5G spectrum: report
Operator reportedly looking to purchase 3.5GHz block as newly-merged entity required to sell off further assets under regulatory obligations.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica said to refinance struggling Peruvian biz again
Group reportedly approves capital reduction and further investment in the country, as unit continues to seek a turnaround after reporting sales and earnings declines in FY23…
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Network & Infrastructure
O2 Germany, Mainova get stuck in with 5G ‘smart pole’ rollout
Operator integrates small cell into existing street lighting infrastructure as part of collaboration with Mainova and 5G-Synergiewerk. Rollout forms part of broader mobile network densification strategy, as O2 seeks to attract fresh users to its network.
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Network & Infrastructure
O2 Germany completes 5G reduced capacity trial; foresees IoT, B2B uplift, alt-4G
Operator tests RedCap terminal modules for first time in Munich, with CTIO Mallik Rao saying 4G alternative tech holds potential to “bring new momentum” to IoT sector. As O2 shows keen interest in B2B, cost reduction, efficiency possibilities. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Spanish state commences stake-build, German tower build amidst fibre woes, satellite hooha
Spain national interest card in play in strategic shareholder rejig reshuffle. Mobile network expansion in Germany, as fibre sector doubt viability of government’s long-term fibre deployment targets. Read more…