All Public Affairs articles
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Public AffairsPhones 4u: Antitrust “enforcer” CMA to weigh in on UK MNO collusion claims
For the first time ever, the Competition and Markets Authority is to intervene in an antitrust Court of Appeal hearing, homing in on alleged collusion between O2 UK and EE CEOs at 2012’s infamous Landmark Hotel meeting. It does not appear to be dwelling on 4G collusion or poor record-keeping smoking guns. Read more from TelcoTitans’ in-depth ongoing coverage…
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Public AffairsUK telcos under regulatory fire for ‘misleading’ ads
BT, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media O2 asked to remove ads following ASA investigation into claims that they could mislead consumers about mid-contract price hikes.
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M&ABT, Sky urge CMA to block Vodafone-Three merger
BT and Sky make last-ditch arguments to prevent the merger of Vodafone and Three that would combine the UK’s third and fourth mobile operators.
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Public AffairsUnions reject MásOrange’s revised lay-off plan
Newly-merged joint venture wants to push through nearly 750 redundancies to progress its four-year ‘synergy’ extraction programme and broader ‘two into one’ integration effort.
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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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Public AffairsUK Minister hints at fixes for FibreCos’ apartment access woes
Operators vent about barriers to accessing MDU access as new Telecoms Minister offers support for reforms, but little in the way of detail or firm commitments…
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Public AffairsDraghi’s EU vision prompts mixed response from telcos
Regional grandees Ericsson, Nokia, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone among those praising EU’s vision on improving competitiveness on the global stage, but others not so keen on the strictures it lays out. Register to read more…
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PeopleBT adds ex-antitrust CEO to boardroom
Former Competition and Markets Authority CEO Alex Chrisholm joins BT board to lead Ofcom engagement, support Openreach separation compliance.
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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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Strategy & ChangeBrazil’s Vivo gets Central Bank nod to expand in fintech
Central Bank of Brazil grants licence for operator to expand credit and insurance products and grow its presence in the fintech space.
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Public AffairsMásOrange angers Spanish unions with plan for 795 voluntary job cuts
After eight months of operation, the Spanish joint venture of Orange Spain and MásMóvil wants to weed out workforce duplication with plans to cut 795 jobs but faces resistance from national trade unions.
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Public AffairsSafaricom ‘calls for’ mandated MNO–SatCo partnerships as Starlink expands in Africa
Reports indicate Kenyan operator is pushing local Communications Authority to consider blocking solo foreign SatCo entrants and oblige them to form partnerships with licence-holding MNOs.
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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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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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M&AVodafone M&A attempt shot down in Portugal
Proposed Vodafone Portugal acquisition of market minnow Nowo ruled out by local antitrust body, but with potential lessons to take to UK merger wranglings.
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach 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 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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Public AffairsEU trains regulatory spotlight on e& over CEE expansion plans
European Commission opens probe into UAE‑based operator’s planned PPF transaction amid “alleged subsidies” concerns.
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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…