Latest Regional News – Page 87
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Germany: O2 Germany launches Easy IoT
Outsourced payroll automation on the move; O2 showcases real-world 5G developments.
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Premium
O2 Germany pushes back on 5GC rollout
Operator “fully on track” to meet coverage targets, but stalls on 5GC. Will not roll out 5G SA on a large-scale until it offers “real added value for customers”. Puts Huawei base station antenna innovation through its paces at 5G Tech City project in Munich.
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Strategy & Change
DT retains “strategic partnership” with Hungary
DT CEO Höttges meets with Hungarian PM. Operator’s local unit Magyar Telekom accelerates developments in the country.
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Premium
Operators sign second mobile pact for NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia steps up ambitions to be Germany’s leading 5G location. Markus Haas said operators have agreed to build 1,000 new sites in exchange for faster permits. Tower lease costs rising in line with expectations as network expands. CFO Rolle signals caution on FTTP buildout.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica progresses centralisation of Hispam
Milagros Montenegro takes on what appears to be a new purchasing role at the Hispam unit. More growth is reported for Q3, but it’s still early days for Hispam.
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Financial & Performance
Accenture taps into DT’s tech revamp with ERP takeover
DT CEO highlights “specific” outsourcing move as an example of Group’s progress and focus on cost reduction. Deal forms part of €100m–€200m IT value chain recalibration DT planning by FY24. Q3 results see DT continuing US-led growth, raising guidance on back of revenue and cash flow boost.
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Suppliers & SCM
T-Mobile applies margin pressure on partner Assurant
Insurance services player bags multi-year extension deal with T-Mobile. Deal includes commitment to offer in-store same day device repairs at 500 T-Mobile stores across the USA. Assurant President expects margin squeeze from new arrangement, offset by higher volumes through addition of Sprint customers.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodacom in talks over rural wireless alliance
Operator scoping out partners to share investment in thousands of extra sites across its sub-Saharan African footprint. Venture adds to wider technology and business model experimentation by Vodacom, to fund network expansion.
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M&A
Vodacom expands into Egypt with Vodafone stake switch
Vodafone to increase its stake in Vodacom to more than 65% following the transaction. Internal deal follows STC’s failed mission to buy Vodafone Egypt during 2020.
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Financial & Performance
Safaricom confident on Ethiopia despite ‘staff evacuation’
Staff safety and security a priority in Ethiopia, says Safaricom’s Peter Ndegwa, but progress remains on track despite distractions. Break-even forecasts braced for impact of conflict. Employees evacuated from Addis Ababa, according to reports.
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Financial & Performance
Telefónica prescribes digitalisation as Europe’s inflation antidote
Telefónica’s Argentinian inflation battle shows digitalisation value in markets facing cost challenges. Group management also seeks to ease qualms over rising energy costs and wage inflation in Europe through digitally driven efficiency drive.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Prosegur plots LatAm expansion with “ally” Telefónica
Prosegur outlines plans to copy-paste Movistar Prosegur Alarmas JV model in overlapping LatAm footprint. MPA continues to grow customer base in latest results.
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Partnerships & Alliances
UK telcos face missing out on Horizon Europe funding
Political brinkmanship between London and Brussels threatens access to €95.5bn R&D pot. UK preps Discovery Fund as alternative, but unlikely to match largesse of Horizon Europe.
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Venturing & Investments
Vodafone veterans steer mimik to $14m funding
mimik Technology, founded and led by former Vodafone venturing executives, to use Series-A investment round to develop go-to-market strategy. T-Mobile-backed 5G OI Lab graduate picks up funding from multiple US VCs.
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Premium
DT heads down under for fibre mate
Australia’s IFM named as Gigabit investment partner following long period of speculation. Move adds to TDE CEO Gopalan’s box of tricks as he seeks to pragmatically accelerate the Group’s slow-building fibre deployment. Startup JV embedded with various protective measures for DT, such as balance sheet deconsolidation, and long-term/standalone strategic ...
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Premium
More 3G networks head for retirement in Europe
NatCos in Hungary and Poland announce 3G switch-off plans. T-Mobile Poland reuses spectrum to add capacity to 4G and 5G services.
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Strategy & Change
Vodafone Technology embeds ‘build over buy’ mentality
Vodafone Global Digital Engineering head Ahmed El Sayed updates on Netcracker-backed transformation pilot in Hungary. Software engineering “the future” for Vodafone, as Group looks internally for revamped tech stack under ‘build not buy’ vision.
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Financial & Performance
T-Mobile rides cyberattack storm
Operator’s Q3 numbers indicate few customers ditched its services in wake of high-profile data breach in August. Competitor exploitation of Sprint integration challenges highlighted as bigger issue, albeit one T-Mobile intends to make “short-lived”. T-Mobile highlights organisational and cultural changes in response to attack.
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Suppliers & SCM
Safaricom in talks with Kenya Power to install smart grid
Build, operate, and transfer deal reportedly under discussion.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT backed Gaia-X project rocked by report of infighting
Politico report says project has lost focus. Some sources cite active role played by Microsoft. Research data shows continuing dominance of US cloud providers in Europe.