All Infrawatch articles – Page 49
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vantage Towers on alert as Drillisch appears on 5G radar
National roaming deal between Drillisch and Telefónica Deutschland paves way for 5G rollout by Germany’s would-be fourth MNO. Vodafone’s TowerCo spinout vies with Deutsche Funkturm and Telxius for Drillisch business. Ericsson sales veteran Peter Zehetner joins Vantage Towers as Managing Director in Germany.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone tests 100G PON waters with Nokia
Experimental PON tech developed by Nokia Bell Labs gets runout at Vodafone’s Competence Centre in Eschborn, Germany. Enables speeds of up to 100Gbps on a single wavelength using a combination of 25G optics and “advanced” DSP techniques. Nokia envisages commercial availability in “second half of decade”.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vivo taps CDPQ for fibre spin out, as KKR invests in Chile
Telefónica|Vivo signs a 50:50 deal with Quebec-based investor to launch FiBrasil. Wholesale fibre provider will expand Vivo’s geographic reach, while the OB focuses on upgrading its existing fixed-network footprint. Long-heralded $1bn Chilean InfraCo plans culminate with KKR taking 60% stake.
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Network & Infrastructure
Magyar Telekom CEO rules out tower tie-ups
Tibor Rékasi anticipates no strategic activity in the “near future”. 5G coverage target met in Budapest.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom waiting in wings for TowerCo expansion
CFO Illek wants to see how Vantage Towers IPO pans out before making any big moves On prowl for investor partners through Digital Infrastructure Vehicle set up in collaboration with Cellnex. Flags Deutsche Funkturm’s “good price” and M&A possibilities. Selling tower assets to make a quick euro, à ...
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Network & Infrastructure
DT moves goalposts on German infrastructure mega-projects
Headline FTTH and cell site expansion roadmaps reworked. COVID-19 disruption, regulatory barriers, and bad weather cited as contributors. First signs emerge of the Group’s new, pandemic-influenced medium-term planning, due to be laid out later in 2021.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Funkturm CEO says three’s a crowd in Germany
Jacobfeuerborn hints at further expansion abroad as ‘crowded’ home market dims growth prospects. ‘Grey spot’ network-sharing among German MNOs a concern.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom wraps up Austrian tower spinout
Another building-block added to multi-layered platform Group is bringing together in European tower space.
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Network & Infrastructure
Indus Towers talks up ‘next-gen’ tech revamp
Former Finance Director of Vodafone Intelligent Solutions takes on CFO role at newly combined entity. Expanse moves come with Vodafone said to be contemplating selling part of its Indus stake to help out troubled Vi.
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People
Vantage Towers taps Ericsson sales guy for Germany push
Peter Zehetner joins Vodafone’s TowerCo spinout as Managing Director in Germany. Formerly Ericsson’s Commercial Director in western Europe, Zehetner brings years of sales experience to the Vantage team. Winning business from Drillisch, Germany’s would-be fourth MNO, high on the things-to-do-list.
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Premium
Telefónica agrees to monetise Cornerstone
Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK give each other freedom to “commercialise” their 50% stakes in Cornerstone JV. Uncertain how Group’s top brass will proceed, but partial or full sale seems likely.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telefónica Infra-Tech: ElevenPaths banks growth in Spain
Telefónica Tech’s IoT & Big Data unit tags contract extensions, while ElevenPaths expands its Spanish order book.
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT teams with Cellnex for European tower expansion
Two groups firm up relationship following a long courtship. Dutch unit T-Mobile Infra to be DT’s anchor investment in new Digital Infrastructure Vehicle. Move releases DT to join European TowerCo gold rush, but while keeping options open on future ownership of its own infrastructure assets.
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People
Vantage Towers CEO says he’s no Vodafone lackey
Vivek Badrinath emphasises operational and strategic independence from Vodafone. CEO claims Europe is 20 years behind the USA in commercialisation of towers. Newspaper interview used to defend upcoming listing on Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
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Suppliers & SCM
Openreach deploys EXFO technology for fibre rollout
Rollout speed gains stressed as key motivator for purchase.
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M&A
Telefónica sells infra biz to American Tower
Telxius finds a home at US infrastructure giant. Transaction expected to wipe €4.6bn off Telefónica net debt.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone bulks up Vantage Towers with Cornerstone
Vodafone UK and Telefónica UK give each other freedom to “commercialise” their 50% stakes in Cornerstone JV. Transfer of Vodafone’s shareholding to Vantage Towers to take place within weeks. Important (and long-awaited) addition to Vodafone’s European TowerCo ahead of upcoming IPO.
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Network & Infrastructure
Glasfaser Nordwest brings fibre build in-house
Deutsche Telekom-EWE joint venture launches Glasfaser Nordwest Connect subsidiary to complete the last metres of FTTH builds. Brings formerly outsourced operations in-house, leaving the bulk of the work to “expansion partners”. FTTH network nearing launch in select areas.
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People
Openreach seeks people power to fuel full-fibre
BT infrastructure division announces 5,300 new jobs for 2021, although 2,800 of them will be created within subcontractors. Capacity needed to increase weekly rate of full-fibre premises passed from 40,000 to 50,000.
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Network & Infrastructure
INWIT ties up loose ownership end
Telecom Italia sells remaining direct stake in TowerCo, co-controlled with Vodafone, to Canson Capital Partners.