All Public Affairs articles – Page 22
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Financial & PerformanceVodafone close to settling €2.4bn tax dispute with India
Group offers New Delhi a deal after retrospective tax legislation scrapped. Dispute harks back to Vodafone acquisition of Hutchison Essar in 2007. Indian stand-off has long cast a shadow over Group finances, despite recent legal victories.
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PremiumTPG takes hit as Teoh offloads shares
Controversial founder sells 20% of his total stake — the maximum he was able to sell. Move sees TPG valuation drop by AU$ 1bn.
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PremiumSafaricom outlines plans to tackle staff fraud
Telco forms fraud management squads to identify internal fraud. 28 employees fired in FY20–21 for fraud-related offences.
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OperationsTelefónica presents redundancy plan to Spanish unions
Union negotiations begin over new phase of headcount reduction. Reports suggest more than 3,000 staff will be offered voluntary redundancy, although eventual job cut total expected to be lower. Move comes amid ongoing competition and inflation concerns.
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PremiumEquinox takes off as legal challenge looms
Openreach touts better-than-expected FTTP offer take-up. Equinox aimed at accelerating full-fibre adoption, but altnets could spoil the party with legal action.
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M&ASpain shields Telefónica as KKR’s TI bid makes waves
Spanish government reinforcing restrictions that would halt hostile bids for Telefónica until 2023. Europe’s telco sector awash with bid speculation as KKR pursues TI, and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries is linked to a BT bid.
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PremiumOfcom seeks to protect BT public phone boxes
Regulator estimates that 6,000 BT kiosks have been converted under Adopt a Kiosk scheme. Stricter rules could protect about 5,000 phone boxes. Ofcom proposes other changes to USO including fax support and directories.
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Network & InfrastructureRegulator: don’t let Ethiopia unrest slow network rollout
The Ethiopian Communications Authority has told STE to “expedite the project rollout” amid ongoing conflict in the country’s north. No wiggle-room in Q1 commercial launch deadline, despite Safaricom staff evacuation and national state of emergency.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Group: Phones 4u saga continues
Phones 4u saga rolls on; BT joins in with COP26 target-setting.
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Strategy & ChangeDT’s Ahrens reaffirms commitment to Gaia-X amid turbulence
T-Systems CTO Maximilian Ahrens sees DT as a “bridge builder” for Gaia-X. Chairman of European cloud association insists it is still in startup phase and accepts “an element of needing to find ourselves”. Summit marked by reported sponsorship row and France-based Scaleway become first major member to exit the ...
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in T-Mobile US: VoNR not yet ready
VoNR not yet ready; retail partnerships boost footprint; Google tie-up surfaces with new plan.
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Public AffairsT-Mobile rides cyberattack storm
Operator’s Q3 numbers indicate few customers ditched its services in wake of high-profile data breach in August 2021. Competitor exploitation of Sprint integration challenges highlighted as bigger issue, albeit one TMUS intends to make “short-lived”. TMUS highlights organisational and cultural changes in response to attack.
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PremiumTDE continues post-flood efforts with Eutelsat deal
Agreement brings improved broadband connectivity to areas in Germany with poor signal. Pilot underway in city of Heimerzheim, which was badly affected by July’s flooding.
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Public AffairsAltnets gird for legal battle over Openreach FTTP pricing — report
CityFibre said to be heading up legal challenge to Ofcom’s Equinox decision. Rural fibre builder Gigaclear among altnets joining forces to fight back against Openreach’s lower FTTP pricing structure.
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Strategy & ChangeTelefónica preps for 2,000+ job cuts — reports
Spanish operations look set for voluntary redundancy scheme rollout, according to multiple sources. Continuation of ongoing headcount reduction programme expected to be in place by mid-2022 following union negotiations later this month.
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PeopleDunne moves upstairs as Brouillette takes lead at Verizon
Former O2 UK CEO steps aside as head of Verizon’s fixed-mobile consumer business. New role will see Dunne act as Strategic Advisor to Verizon Chairman. Change comes as new allegations linked to O2’s role in Phones 4u demise continue to emerge.
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Partnerships & AlliancesUK 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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Public AffairsPhones 4u saga continues with ‘burner’ phone allegation
Former Orange exec Benoit Scheen attempted to arrange untraceable call to collude with Vodafone, according to High Court claim. Illicit text messages uncovered as part of evidence discovery.
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Public AffairsVodafone Pass reviewed following EU judgement
ECJ goes further than expected by consumer group. VfD may be forced to provide the same terms and conditions through EU. Other European OpCos could be affected.
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Products & ServicesGovernment considering BT’s emergency comms proposal
UK Home Office in discussions with BT over introduction of 888 emergency comms and tracking system. 888/Walk Me Home working titles for platform that could act as “deterrent to criminals”. £50m public funding required. Christmas 2021 launch possible.