EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 178
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Venturing & InvestmentsVodafone ups investment in collaboration player VOSS
Group contributes to new funding round by long-time unified comms services partner. Rare sign of activity at Group’s startup investment unit Vodafone Ventures. VOSS bidding for growth following pandemic shake-up to business collaboration.
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M&ADAZN targets Premier League with BT Sport bid — reports
Reports indicate BT is in “advanced” stage talks with DAZN to offload BT Sport, with a deal mooted “within weeks”. Broadcasting rights the big-ticket item for US streaming specialist, while BT looks to focus efforts on network expansion.
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PeopleVodafone picks Microsoft exec to upgrade purchasing ops
Experienced US buying executive bulks up Vodafone Procurement Company’s supply chain leadership team.
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PeopleDT refreshes management at budget brand congstar
Telekom Deutschland announces new management board for congstar brand, with Kiehl and Opdemom swapped for new MD duo. Ghasemi and Orbach step up, bringing with them a shift in structure.
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Public AffairsVodafone Germany takes action over sales partner fraud
Media report suggests German OpCo could incur fines over data privacy violations. Whistleblower said to have demanded €900,000 in exchange for non-publication of data. German case follows privacy incidents involving third-party agencies in Italy and Spain.
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M&ATelefónica nearing Uruguay exit?
New suitor emerges as Telefónica considers bid for Uruguayan unit. Local politician leading acquisition push on behalf of consortium partners. Reported bid falls some way short of independent valuation.
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Network & InfrastructureBT’s Watson highlights fibre’s central place in network ‘jigsaw’
CTO plays down fixed wireless’s role in meeting UK’s connectivity challenge. CityFibre and Hyperoptic welcome Ofcom’s WFTMR, but want Openreach to remain under strict scrutiny. Virgin Media O2 something of an elephant in the room as altnets pitch themselves as more agile rivals.
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Products & ServicesVirgin Media O2 plans IPTV service launch
First streaming service offer targeted at young consumers. VM O2 sizes up aggregator opportunity.
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Network & InfrastructureDT looks to the future with German ‘fiberisation’
Group’s Dido Blankenburg sees connecting homes as the next big debate. BNetzA highlights need for lighter fibre regulation and cooperation among market players.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Systems Solutions: oneclick expands partnership
oneclick expands partnership; Telekom Security offers training tools.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Telekom Deutschland: “long-term” Sky partnership
Management refresh at congstar; Sky and TDE build up partnership; operator shops at Aldi for home tie-up.
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PremiumVodafone Group’s Dutch and British tower partners look to cash in
Liberty CFO says group “not in love with” tower ownership and keen to unlock value in Belgium, Netherlands, and UK. Telefónica hands Goldman Sachs reins to examine prospective Cornerstone share sale.
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Innovation (R&D)BT ties with Sweden’s Skydome on emergency response
VR leveraged by embryonic Skydome for incident monitoring purposes. Startup’s R&D partners include Intel. Potential for deployment at BT’s network of smart ports.
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PremiumCityFibre bags fresh cash injection
Openreach challenger announces fresh funds through stake sale and bond issue. Capital “enables” Project Gigabit ambitions. CityFibre’s FTTP rollout reaches 650,000 premises. Altnet momentum builds with an estimated £8bn in investment publicly promised.
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Venturing & InvestmentsWayra UK sets up fundraising support initiative
UK incubator leans on expertise of outside consultancy to launch Wayraise scheme. Mountside helping ensure Wayra businesses are “investor-ready” and works to facilitate greater flow of VC into startup ecosystem.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone CEO disses DSS
Nick Read flags “performance degradation” when using DSS in blended environment of 4G and 5G. Not clear if all vendors equally guilty in Read’s eyes. Ericsson’s proprietary Ericsson Spectrum Sharing solution used in key Vodafone markets, including Germany and UK. Vendor emphatically denies there is any meaningful performance dip ...
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PeopleBT Sourced adds transformation lead
Former Allianz buying head appointed Director, Procurement Transformation.
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M&ATelefónica joins Liberty in move towards UK tower sale
Goldman Sachs reportedly handed reins to examine prospective Cornerstone share sale.
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PremiumDT people moves: CEOs and CTIOs named in central and eastern Europe
A host of changes at DT’s European NatCos include two new CEOs and two new CTIOs, and a reworked Commercial division. Finance lead swaps at T-Systems Alpine. Group venturing unit DTCP targets portfolio partnerships growth.
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Network & InfrastructureNokia resumes O-RAN Alliance activity
Group revises procedures to alleviate concerns over US export rules. Deutsche Telekom is “fully committed” to the Alliance. USA considering clarifications for standards organisations.