EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 249
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PremiumFitch gives Vivo AAA-grade
Fitch recognises Vivo’s business model with triple-A rating despite the COVID-19 effect.
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PremiumGovernment eyes open infrastructure as 2025 plan stalls
DCMS looking at encouraging greater sharing across utilities and telecoms infrastructure, and encouraging Openreach to make use of rivals’ assets. UK government beating drum of infrastructure investment as part of the pandemic response, but references to 2025 Gigabit network deadlines fading into background.
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PremiumBT Sport turns to arch-rival Sky for media sales
Launch partner Channel 4 displaced after seven years.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Tech: BT puts willingness to tackle legacy in writing
BT signs TM Forum’s Open API and Open Digital Architecture Manifesto.
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PremiumBT Group, Consumer & Enterprise moves: Ellerton steps away; Murphy named General Counsel
Consumer gets new Marketing Director from Telenor Sweden.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Enterprise: ContactEngine partnership gets praise
Innovation leader Millard stresses enthusiasm for automation and digitisation in customer support.
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PremiumNokia brought in for ESN air cover
Home Office clears way for trial of network add-on for airborne emergency workers, although evidently wary of technical issues that have soured broader programme.
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OperationsGlasgow and Dundee protected from office closures: BT
Ten cities now confirmed as locations BT plans to retain — although EE’s Hatfield base not yet on list.
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M&AVodafone Egypt sale inches forward
STC reportedly completes its due diligence. Potential deal still muddied by questions over 45% stake held by Telecom Egypt.
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Network & InfrastructureUS forces UK hand on Huawei, Germany resists
Reports that tightened US sanctions may be a game changer on Huawei security pave the way for a UK government U-turn on its approach to the vendor. In Germany, leaked DT contract details underline willingness of Huawei to hedge operator risks with stockpiled supplies and financial guarantees.
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Financial & PerformanceONS data errors reshape UK telecoms landscape
The Office for National Statistics new methods marks change for the past 20 years’ price decline, but promise more accurate inflation and GDP readings. Change backs telcos’ claims that they are meeting demands of ‘more for less’ in tougher circumstances than assumed.
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Public AffairsSA preps plunger for 4G/5G spectrum blockage
Vodacom’s long wait for more network resource in its home market appears to be coming to an end, although false starts have been seen before in SA.
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PremiumDeutsche Telekom people movements, July 2020: European swaps and US refresh
Hrvatski Telekom elevates B2B into CEO’s mandate. Carter and Geldmacher among New T-Mobile departures.
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PeopleDeutsche Telekom Group people movements, July 2020
Höttges continues internationalisation of management by shifting Gopalan to head Telekom Deutschland.
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PeopleDeutsche Telekom’s R&D head steps down
Group’s blockchain innovation point-man and T-Labs head is off to open up “next chapter”, but seemingly not yet done with some DT side-projects.
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Content & TVTelefónica nets UEFA tournament hat-trick
Movistar+ to air Champions League, Europa League, and newcomer Europa Conference. Winning €975m bid a relative steal as COVID-19 topples Telefónica’s competitors.
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Public AffairsRegulatory questions posed over DT’s Romanian exit plan
Possibility of regulatory pushback to a deal raised by national competition head. European Commission would also want to have a close look.
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PeopleParisse bids adieu to Vodafone
Products & Services Director Stefano Parisse leaves the Group. Replaced by Vodacom and M-PESA hand Phil Patel. Fond farewells, including flypast from ex-CEO Colao. Further shift from Colao Italian technocrat to Read international axis?
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Suppliers & SCMDigital Procurement Garage: BT gets new canary for supply chain risks
Macro risk consultancy PRISM joins BT’s fledgling Digital Procurement Garage. Another symbol of how global trade tensions and COVID-19 have given telcos major supply chain resilience jitters. First non-UK member.
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M&AEU: Vestager nod set to prompt regional consolidation race
Vestager distracts from four-to-three merger demands by highlighting potential for creation of pan-European big beasts. But is this feasible in any imminent iteration of Europe, beyond cross-border infrastructure ventures envisaged by Orange?