All articles by Richard Agnew – Page 33
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Network & Infrastructure
EE ploughs ahead on Scottish rural 4G plan
Operator’s backing for S4GI not-spot scheme shows through in latest on-the-ground progress. ESN involvement appears to have created efficiencies, helping EE to build case for expanded involvement. Middleman challenges evident in slow pace of S4GI roll out.
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Content & TV
Deutsche Telekom preps move into edge-based TV
Group putting connectivity and cloud together with plan for rollout of personalised, low latency-reliant TV services layer. Another sign of rampup of capabilities for a big Magenta commercial push ahead of Euro 2024.
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Premium
T-Sys looks to take campus offering to next level
Ericsson relationship expanded to cover markets beyond Germany. Move appears to align with bubbling private network initiatives at Europe and US NatCos.
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Premium
Partner Markets: Vodafone’s scale-up substitute
Federation spanning 46 markets across the globe, with operators in New Zealand, Oman, and eastern Europe among recent adds.
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Strategy & Change
Vodafone centralising national tech functions for Europe platform union
In-country tech leadership to be extracted and taken over by Group, as part of broader, homogenisation-focused regional reorg. Top Group execs in London hope move will address longstanding frustration with fragmentation and bring efficiencies and speed. Some in OpCos might continue to have other ideas…
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M&A
Vodafone’s Read coy on Spanish M&A possibilities
“Pragmatic” Vodafone will “always examine opportunities to enhance and strengthen our business”, says Group Chief Executive.
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People
Osborne to become Vodafone’s deal-making wingman
Ex-UK Chancellor likely to be involved in future Group acquisitions after agreeing to join M&A chaperone Robey Warshaw.
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M&A
Caching out: Vodafone’s long-range storage play exited
Group’s corporate venturing portfolio continues to dwindle as Caringo, an investment made back in late-2000s, gets absorbed by storage peer.
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Strategy & Change
Vodafone said to be considering Ghanaian switcheroo
Possible offload to Vodacom said to be under consideration. Deal would chime with Group leadership’s bid to consolidate Africa and Europe power bases while improving financial position. Political complications likely to be a factor.
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Financial & Performance
Go-to-market stasis hits Talkmobile numbers
Vodafone UK’s in-house MVNO yet to report uplift from u-turn on customer acquisition and implementation of new platform.
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Strategy & Change
EXCLUSIVE: Vodafone splits IT, networks to advance TechCo vision
New bifurcated tech network division of responsibilities. Group and OpCo trickle-down. Groundwork for delayed TechCo strategy and build-out. Promoted Scott Petty lays out vision of 5G-based telco resurgence, but warns Vodafone could become M&A prey if data monetisation puzzle remains unsolved. Further insight into Vodafone’s thinking behind 2025 tech ...
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Strategy & Change
BT seeks to electrify procurement with Faraday subsidiary
Managers for strategic procurement categories being recruited, including network, connectivity, and marketing. Data science remains prominent. New subsidiary’s standalone status emphasised, evidencing detachment and perhaps also ambition.
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Premium
TDE gets access systems on same page as A4 goes live
2020 launch target hit for highly strategic — but evidently complex — project. No follow up details on future roadmap.
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Network & Infrastructure
Deutsche Telekom’s four-play makes an impression
Operator’s long-planned Access 4.0 platform goes into operation in Germany, on schedule — but with a small footprint and plenty of work to do to realise Group’s full ambitions for softwarised system.
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M&A
BT Cornwall quietly put into liquidation
Business blighted by falling-out between BT and its local public sector partners to be wound up. Another marker of troubled public-private partnership approach to council contracts confined to past.
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Innovation (R&D)
BT’s Pelipod stashes smart-locker growth
2016 logistics acquisition reports strong top-line increase but remains loss-making. Investment continuing to focus on development of its IoT-enabled boxes. Report follows mid-2020 takeover by BT’s Procurement department.
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People
Vodafone UK’s Petty sets sights on Group CTO job
Exec lays out vision of 5G-based telco resurgence, but warns Vodafone could become M&A prey if data monetisation puzzle remains unsolved.
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People
Vodafone UK’s Jeffery jumps ship, and may not be last
Group loses another exec from layer below CEO Read’s increasingly thin top leadership. Home-market custodian and Read contemporary Nick Jeffery likely to have seen development opportunities limited in tightly-controlled upper echelons. Resultant vacancies in Group Operations and Strategy briefs pose a challenge in terms of introducing new voices.
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Premium
Vodafone Q2 FY20–21
Cost-cutting props up performance during COVID-19-hit quarter and CFO indicates she is preparing to step up efficiency plans further. Lag in delivery of leadership’s “Phase Two” plans, including Tech 2025, muddying attempts to assure stakeholders of a brighter future. Lots of talk of “underlying” strength as Group’s leadership seeks ...
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Premium
Headline numbers: weathering the storm, for now
Key numbers relatively solid, reflecting telecoms sector’s cushioning from worst of pandemic disruption. Cost-cutting props up earnings, offsetting top-line weakness. Results preceded latest coronavirus response measures, which will have exacerbated drag on roaming revenue. Government support measures and resumption of international travel cited as key to maintaining solidity.