All INCA Conference articles
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Interview
New INCA CEO tells UK altnets to mobilise against common enemy
Industry body recce’d under new CEO, with collaboration and communication identified for rework — including potential Openreach hotline upgrade — despite cloud of consolidation.
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Strategy & Change
Zzoomm: capital costs holding back build and consolidation
At INCA Summit Zzoomm’s CEO Matthew Hare predicted a bright future for the sector, but current cost of capital is impeding expansion plans and complicating the path to consolidation.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: Ofcom spectrum plans, open RAN wins, INCA treasure
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including Nokia wins DT open RAN deal; Ofcom weighs SatCom opportunities; altnets debate wireless options; and plenty more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Special report: When UK fibre hits its limit, do altnets go wireless?
INCA Summit 2024: debate spills from panel to panel as altnet leaders target the last 2% of ultra-rural premises where fibre is too costly to deploy without massive subsidies. Wireless re-enters the room with new spectrum, enhanced technology…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: earnings add to Kirkby’s optimism
Latest from BT as CEO Allison Kirkby uses drab half-year results to cast vision for the future; Business prepares for Global divestment; Openreach beats fibre expectations; BT riled as Vodafone–Three merger nears…
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Network & Infrastructure
Project Gigabit future: UK FibreCos say yes to expansion, but with caveats
Mooted bundling of Project Gigabit mega-contracts gets firm ‘no’ from altnet INCA gathering, but most on board for programme extension. New Labour government urged to protect and evolve rural fibre build to reach final few per cent of rural premises, learn from ‘zany’ Scotland, or risk missing FTTP targets. And then there’s that Type C elephant (not) in the room, Openreach…
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Venturing & Investments
Infracapital: UK FibreCo fundraisers must graft to overcome global ‘bad rep’, new gov showing ‘green shoots’
INCA event provides platform for investors and altnets including Octopus and Netomnia to review early weeks of Labour government, with broad optimism on show despite still rocky funding environment. The capital exists, but what will Downing Street do to bring it to the UK? Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: moving beyond the hype with 5G SA and GenAI
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including 5G SA R&D advancements with Nokia and Qualcomm; an honest assessment of the challenges inherent with GenAI adoption at scale; and a potential asset offload in Europe…
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach initiates infra-sharing crackdown as altnets told to get compliant
So-called ‘whereabouts’ compliance must reach 90% for altnets to avoid potential eviction from Openreach networks, with three-month grace period before any action taken. Altnets also unhappy with current failings, and investors wary of compliance weakness. Read more…
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Public Affairs
nexfibre joins calls to tighten Openreach infra choker, ensure lasting UK fibre competition
UK fibre wholesaler calls for new and improved regulation to provide platform for altnet competition as attention turns to Ofcom’s next five-year framework. Echoes broad consensus among INCA members that more could be done to limit Openreach dominance, encourage altnet investment…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Kirkby earns Slim’s approval; Mehta ratchets transformation agenda
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including Slim-affiliated investment and Kirkby priorities for asset monetisation. At DTW24, BT execs promoting transformation progress and shift to ‘platform thinking’ — also developments in innovation productivity, autonomous networks, quantum internet, ServiceNow integration, more…
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M&A
UK fibre M&A ‘easy’ (compared to challenges of compatibility, integration, compliance)
Challenger leaders at INCA gathering call out lack of industry standards as key obstacle to more M&A. Integration and migration are costly and complex, making compatibility a consideration for prospective buyers. Compliance also increasingly important in valuations. More positive is XGS-PON embrace, deemed a “damn fine standard for a starting place”, but beware legacy tech. Learn more…
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Deep Dive
Profile: WightFibre closes in on Gigabit Island dream; Openreach relegated to wannabe
Isle of Wight operator edges towards completion of Gigabit Island build. Now to deliver on hefty financials. Petri dish to watch Openreach play (very distant) challenger to hyperlocal with real moat. Read on to find out more…
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Eventwatch
Ofcom ‘needs to do more’ on fibre competition, accused of resting on laurels
INCA Conference 2023: Ofcom feels pressure from panellists as concerns levelled against controversial calls on competition, with government encouraged to scrutinise regulator more heavily.
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Network & Infrastructure
Labour veers away from UK broadband nationalisation as Project Gigabit plods on
With a UK election expected within a year, the shadow digital minister backs infrastructure competition, and suggests Project Gigabit plans would be maintained by Labour, despite reservations.
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Eventwatch
UK's One Touch Switch debate erupts, with March 2024 deadline hanging in balance
INCA Conference 2023: Fiery panel discussion sees OTS platform questioned, accusations of ‘threatening’ behaviour, Ofcom deadline looming, exemplary punishment mooted, risk of altnets being cut off from opportunity to take market share with major ISP migrations…
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Eventwatch
Project Gigabit draws criticism over voucher headaches and cross-regional contracts
INCA Conference 2023: see what “nightmare” is haunting altnet leaders within Project Gigabit; confusion over cross-regional contracts; and what new BDUK CEO has to say on it all…
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Eventwatch
TelcoTitans Eventwatch calendar: the industry events that matter
TelcoTitans Eventwatch highlights the key events to look out for in 2024 and 2025 that really matter, and those we will be covering, attending, and associated with as an official media partner.
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Premium
INCA calls for Openreach breakup
Altnet industry group urges government scrutiny of telecoms regulator, asserting that recent decisions put fibre investment at risk.