All Political articles – Page 3
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Network & InfrastructureEE handed £1.85bn ESN top-up, 5G SA upgrade
UK Home Office to award massive Emergency Services Network transition contract. ’Progress’ so far blocks competition and earns EE the deal, despite ten-year, £10bn+ programme delay…
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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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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: Europe aims for SatCo breakthrough, Hyperoptic joins £1bn club, DT ponders more TowerCos
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including: EU efforts to support connectivity on Earth and above the skies; UK public sector stoking the fire of fibre investment; musings on the merits of more TowerCos; and plenty more…
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone buying chief: ‘creeping protectionism’ destabilising telecom supply chain
Group Procurement Director Ninian Wilson warns that dynamic has changed in Europe, with rising US-China tensions making for difficult decisions in telco buying. Vodafone SCM strategy now prioritising resilience, despite trade-offs…
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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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Network & InfrastructureUK government shutters Huawei oversight committee despite continued presence
Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology states that examination of potential risks within Huawei’s equipment by a committee of NCSC and industry cybersecurity experts has ended, and been replaced with “stronger departmental governance arrangements”.
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Weekly BriefingsInfrawatch Weekly: Netomnia climbs UK altnet table, Poland drives on fibre, UK politicians play it safe
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including the emergence of a new £1bn challenger in the UK fibre scene, collab-driven network advances in Poland, connectivity promises in the UK General Election; people moves, and plenty more…
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Weekly BriefingsBTwatch Weekly: policy in focus as BT execs make the General Election rounds
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including discussions of a political nature from a handful of senior Group leaders in the build up to the UK’s General Election. The future of TV, planning policy for network expansion, and the need for pro-innovation and investment changes all earned a mention…
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Weekly BriefingsVodafonewatch Weekly: ex-OpCos begin turnaround; venturing moves in Europe, Africa
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem as the Group completes in Spanish exit and hears news of a turnaround from another former OpCo in Hungary, while prospective new ownership in Italy makes more M&A moves. Startup incubation and acceleration is brought to the fore in Portugal and Kenya; open RAN updates with partnerships in tow; drones take flight in Germany; and plenty more…
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Content & TVBT policy chief calls for TV distribution rethink as IP takes hold
Policy & Public Affairs Director Helen Burrows describes current content distribution regulation as insufficient and outmoded, with need to update and reflect change in audience demand.
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Innovation (R&D)BT R&D chief calls for “coherent” policies to support UK innovation
UK industrial strategy for telecoms needs a rethink to support homegrown technology development, drive demand, and revive ailing sector, according to Gabriela Styf Sjöman, Managing Director, Research & Networks Strategy at BT Group.
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Network & InfrastructureProject Gigabit finally reaches Scotland with first rural fibre tender
UK government fibre build scheme opens procurement process for North East Scotland network, geared towards reaching 68,000 premises. Northern Ireland and Wales contracts in the pipeline, as are larger ‘call-off’ bundled lots that have piqued the interest of larger players…
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Network & InfrastructureBritish parliamentarians depart with last swing at ‘unconvincing’ 5G plans
The outgoing Public Accounts Committee’s final report on mobile connectivity portrays government efforts to improve mobile coverage as lacking focus, data, and clear evidence of value.
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Network & InfrastructureGerman operators respond cautiously to BNetzA’s proposed spectrum auction compromise
Three existing MNOs, which have been loudly complaining over spectrum access cost burden, would pay just under €600m for five-year rights extension under new BNetzA proposals.
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M&AVodafone−Three welcome deal’s security clearance as focus turns to antitrust
UK government green-lights merger (with caveats) after conducting security review, but Vodafone−Three are far from celebrating as the CMA’s investigation steps up a gear and leaves consolidation in doubt…
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Financial & PerformanceSafaricom dials down Ethiopia spending plan as loss drags Group profits
FY23–24: Safaricom slashes five-year investment target for Ethiopia, commits to tightened spend to weather challenging macro environment, but remains positive on progress and outlook.
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M&ACriteriaCaixa becomes largest Telefónica shareholder with 5%
CriteriaCaixa exerts its muscle at Telefónica as CaixaBank gradually fades away.
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Network & InfrastructureUK gov pledges satcomms R&D investment for ultra-rural homes
Spring Budget adds £160m to LEO connectivity funding pot days after warnings that UK SatCos require fresh funding to stay afloat. BT, Vodafone, VM O2 have named their partners, and early trials are beginning to emerge…
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Network & InfrastructureUK’s £1bn 4G ‘not spot’ programme slammed by national auditor; ‘5G SA for all’ doubts
Behind schedule Shared Rural Network a mess but not quite a fail, and another example of government mismanagement. Ofcom slapped for unfit-for-purpose market definition and data. MNOs on hook for cost overruns, and better updates…