All Strategy & Change articles – Page 104
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Innovation (R&D)
BT explores edge to “level up” latency for UK gamers
As BT’s edge strategy evolves, gaming emerges as potential use-case. BT’s Neil McRae shares latest thinking about edge business cases. Consumer edge applications more advanced than enterprise services.
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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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M&A
DT said to be upping ante on Dutch sale talks
Possible sale of T-Mobile Netherlands could square with long-rumoured plan to buy KPN in order to bolster the Group’s convergence strategy.
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M&A
Telefónica seeks suitor with Chile exit in pipeline
Speculative report suggests Group is ready to relinquish interest in a key pillar of its Hispam unit as monetisation plans evolve. Liberty flagged as front runner, although may face regulatory challenges, and other runners and riders not ruled out.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT Labs leans on AI/ML for RAN revamp
Targets transformation in design and operation of 5G RAN architectures. Envisages shift from cellular-centric to user-centric networks. Aim not simply to reduce costs and handle more traffic, but to unlock new revenue streams through service differentiation.
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People
BT’s sports rights boss Haworth subbed off
Andy Haworth, BT Sport Rights & Commercial Managing Director, is set to take a position away from BT. Departure follows renewal of key rugby rights, but with critical Premier League negotiations on the horizon.
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Network & Infrastructure
Australia’s mobile network operators pitch for 5G funding
TPG, Telstra, and Optus angle for lion’s share of spoils from the government’s Australian 5G Innovation Initiative. They caution against allocating funds to niche 5G projects and players, arguing it will produce poor returns on taxpayers’ money. Trio advocates MNO-led partnerships as best-suited applicants.
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Network & Infrastructure
Safaricom puts 5G on ice
Kenyan operator plans to focus on building its 4G business for now. Safaricom’s previous reliance on Huawei comes under spotlight amid ongoing US trade talks.
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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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Interview
Avidan puts strategy in motion at Deutsche Telekom IoT
Avidan brings entrepreneurial mindset to DT IoT as he seeks to transform the business and meet growth ambitions. Major strategic initiative, IoT Hub, planned for commercial launch in early-2021. Hints are made at “inorganic activities” in future, but current initiatives driven by organic efforts and strategic partnerships.
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Vendor Voice
Nutanix: Silicon Valley oblivious to emerging telco renaissance
Nutanix’s Tarkan Maner discusses with Vodafonewatch his take on the evolution of the cloud services sector, and the way in which digital transformation efforts demand a fundamental re-think of the misbalanced relationship between telecoms and technology players. Sector veteran Maner predicts telco fightback in the hyperscaler blind spot of ...
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People
Engin Aksoy takes Vodafone Turkey top spot
Former Turkey Consumer CEO replaces promoted Froment-Curtil. Vodafone Turkey has third CEO in less than a year.
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People
Vodafone UK CIO Brocklesby to depart
Chris Brocklesby to exit OpCo as of March. “External opportunity” comes calling. News comes a week after CEO Nick Jeffery bade farewell.
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Consumer (B2C)
Allera makes mark with BT Consumer “turnaround job”
Latest Business Briefing sees Allera stamp his style on Consumer division, striving to bring a premium sheen to a venerable brand. Multi-play out of fashion and cross-selling in as BT and EE set to play to strengths. New marketing chief Thrane buying in to Group transformation philosophy.
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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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People
Openreach seeks people power to fuel full-fibre
BT infrastructure division announces 5,300 new jobs for 2021, although 2,800 of them will be created within subcontractors. Capacity needed to increase weekly rate of full-fibre premises passed from 40,000 to 50,000.
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Network & Infrastructure
Höttges in town as Cosmote switches on 5G
Greek operator launches the country’s first commercial 5G network in partnership with Ericsson. Höttges points to future investment, with Greece of “strategic importance” as a tech hub.
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M&A
Liberty homes in on Telefónica units in Colombia and Ecuador
Reports suggest that Liberty Latin America is stepping up its acquisition strategy, and could enable Telefónica to tick two more boxes on its regional divestment list.
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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.