Infra Event Coverage from Eventwatch
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Strategy & ChangeGenAI is ‘last chance’ for telcos, says DigitalBridge CEO Ganzi
Telecoms operators’ central office and fibre assets give them a chip in the generative AI game, but they need to play their cards right, says boss of digital infra giant.
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach advances network architecture revamp with Nokia Altiplano deployment
Altiplano SDN toolkit being deployed as Openreach pursues “one network platform”.
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M&AIQGeo: KKR’s latest tech buy adds geospatial smarts to sprawling infra portfolio
Private equity giant KKR is taking Cambridge-based geospatial software specialist IQGeo private in £333m deal, pledging to fuel new phase of growth. Log in to understand this hot specialist and what it provides network operators worldwide…
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Public AffairsDeep dive: What UK FibreCos want from Labour gov’t
Fibre builders share what they want from the new Labour government, with policy consistency and demand-side support topping wishlists, divergence on the detail. Read more…
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Products & ServicesIn depth: One Touch Switching launch day
UK’s ‘imperfect’ fixed broadband migration hub debuts to mixed altnet reviews, and incumbent ISP win-back loophole only spotted on launch day. OTS broadly seen by many challengers as open season on majors with poor customer satisfaction, mixed with fears of race to bottom and weakness on multi-play (Sky and VM O2 are both bullish, too). Register to read…
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EventwatchVirgin Media O2 and CityFibre question each other’s fibre maths
Connected Britain: VM O2 CEO Lutz Schüler argues operator is taking “challenger” approach in UK’s fibre market, with nexfibre spin-off and upcoming NetCo positioning operator to be a “long-term sustainable partner” to altnets.
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Network & InfrastructureProject 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 & InvestmentsInfracapital: 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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Public Affairsnexfibre 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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M&AUK 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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M&ALiberty mulls M&A opportunities for Virgin Media O2’s NetCo
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries still “looking actively” at possible altnet acquisitions, noting potential for VM O2’s planned FibreCo spin-off to serve as a vehicle for consolidation in the UK’s fibre market.
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Strategy & ChangeTowerCos move to defend turf against ‘very aggressive’ land bankers
Real estate-poor European TowerCos brace for land bank predators. Not-a-TowerCo Cellnex taking initiative with creation of Celland LandCo. Yet another area where the US sets the pace. Read more…
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: interesting infra times in Spain, a SatCo share drop lawsuit, and UK altnets’ ‘moment of peril’
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including consideration at Connected North of how altnets can balance urgent, and occasionally conflicting, priorities; Cellnex aiming to win as the Spanish mobile sector restructures, and exploring a new TowerCo paradigm in Poland; Phoenix Towers’ European expansion ambitions; legal woes compound setbacks at SpaceMobile; plus plenty more…
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M&ACellnex seeks co-investor to support Polish NetCo strategy
European tower group ‘actively working’ on plan for part-sale of Cellnex Poland, generating funds to fuel transformation of the business into a more fully-fledged NetCo, with both RAN assets and passive infra.
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M&APhoenix Tower remains ‘opportunistic’ on buyouts post-BlackRock deal
TowerXchange Meetup Europe: CEO of wireless infra group says it remains “ready to go” on Europe M&A despite many tower rivals looking cowed amid the tighter financing environment. March’s completion of fresh investment by asset management behemoth BlackRock has given confidence to pursue further deal-making opportunities. Claims edge on “carrier captive” rivals. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure25G/50G slow-go: Openreach may hold out till 2030s on next-gen fibre tech
In depth report — two of the UK’s biggest fibre wholesalers have dampened expectations of imminent 25G and 50G PON upgrades, despite prep-work. Virgin Media O2-backed nexfibre sees no “imminent” case for commercial launch. Openreach also wants greater energy efficiency and to maximise older-gen GPON value extraction, with point-to-point eyed for enterprise. Read more…
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Network & InfrastructureComms industry looks off-planet for next-gen networks
Non‑terrestrial network technology is set to be in demand as commercial space exploration gathers steam, while public‑private projects building a presence in space may provide additional benefits for Earth‑based connectivity.
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Network & Infrastructure‘Stop the mud slinging’: DT’s Gopalan hammers German rivals’ fibre competition complaints
FTTH Conference 2024: Tensions spill over in Berlin on fibre leaders CEO panel, with competitors arguing over who and what is to blame for poor position in European league table on availability and penetration. Incumbent Srini Gopalan lambasts ‘rhetoric’, untruths, lying. Read much more…
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Network & InfrastructureLiberty eyes network-sharing deals in a “couple of markets”
MWC: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says network-sharing holds potential as part of broader need for telcos to up their partnering game and “return to profitable growth”.
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Network & InfrastructureAtlasEdge seeks role as UK C-RAN host
Director of Open RAN Paul Rhodes discusses plan to offer MNOs baseband capacity pooling as a way to deliver capex savings, reduced Scope 3 emissions, and support for new applications. However, scepticism around whether operators will adopt the architecture remains…