Strategy
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Strategy & Change
Tower group SBA wants ‘visibility’ before voyaging into foggy Europe
Eurosceptic tower group plays down the prospect of any dealmaking to give it a regional presence, saying its M&A focus is on strengthening businesses within its existing footprint.
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Venturing & Investments
Fibrus bags £100m, eyes positive EBITDA in 2025
Fibrus Co-Founder and CEO Dominic Kearns tells TelcoTitans that the operator is focused on its current build plan, growing its retail customer connections (including off-net forays in NI and Cumbria), and achieving the “milestone” of positive EBITDA in 2025.
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People
Openreach simplifies exec team to navigate ‘very complex’ fibre build
Chief Engineer Andy Whale takes on leadership of new Complex Engineering department, bringing together complex fibre and Ethernet build teams.
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Network & Infrastructure
Spain’s Sateliot says space-based IoT platform is ready to go
Barcelona-based New Space startup looks in position to start serving customers, and potentially build on tie-ups with the likes of Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica, after a four-satellite launch.
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M&A
EQT and Eutelsat discuss ‘innovative’ satellite ground infraco
Aim is to create a “pure-play, operator-neutral” ground station business initially worth €790m.
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Network & Infrastructure
Short-term delays in NI, but Project Gigabit readying for leap forward across devolved nations
Northern Ireland Executive confirms slight delay in procurement, but confident Project Stratum success can be replicated as paths cleared for Project Gigabit progress in Scotland, Wales…
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Strategy & Change
Cellnex puts real estate asset sale plan ‘on hold’
European tower group wants to keep full ownership of its new land management business, highlighting its financial and strategic importance when it comes to controlling real estate cost and protecting against sharp practice by third-party aggregators.
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Financial & Performance
Virgin Media O2 scopes out investment partners for 2025 NetCo launch
Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says it is looking to finalise financing details this year to bring VM O2’s NetCo online. NetCo progress and fibre build-out puts a cheery note on VM O2’s further weakened performance in Q2, which prompted tweak to financial forecast…
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Financial & Performance
KPN still keen on deals to accelerate fibre build
Dutch telco continues to scope out M&A opportunities within country’s consolidating fibre scene, to propel build and reduce competitive threat.
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Network & Infrastructure
MásOrange eyes more Spanish fibre deals after Vodafone infra tie-up
Consolidation of pressured Spanish telco market continues, seeing recently-reworked operator duo team up to form a distinct fibre business, focused on “dense areas”.
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People
Vantage Towers’ finance boss exits
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Reisten departs wireless infra group at the end of busy, startup-focused four-year term.
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Public Affairs
nexfibre 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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M&A
UK fibre M&A ‘easy’ (compared to challenges of compatibility, integration, compliance)
Challenger leaders at INCA gathering call out lack of industry standards as key obstacle to more M&A. Integration and migration are costly and complex, making compatibility a consideration for prospective buyers. Compliance also increasingly important in valuations. More positive is XGS-PON embrace, deemed a “damn fine standard for a starting place”, but beware legacy tech. Learn more…
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Strategy & Change
Yorkshire challenger Connexin tag-teaming Calix to unlock SME as ‘experience provider’
’Value-add tops megabits’: ambitious regional fibre challenger and key partner open up on winning ways at Connected North. SME segment presented as golden opportunity to strike against incumbents through solutions tailored using network and service data insights. And much more…
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Financial & Performance
Openreach to invade Project Gigabit, snap up altnet misfires
FY23–24: Closing in on infill Project Gigabit contracts, also eyeing altnet misfires. Line loss the new reality despite strong fibre build and take-up momentum. TelcoTitans BTwatch predicts altnets will step up, not roll over. New CEO Kirkby makes clear Openreach not for sale (yet). Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: land grabs, power-sharing, and an AI tidal wave
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including: plans for InfraCos to both attack and defend against challenges in the market with new land acquisition and energy plays; data centre prep for building ‘AI tidal wave’; a busy time for vendors in the evolving German infrastructure market; people moves; and plenty more…
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Financial & Performance
Inwit boss hopes wave of Italian telco deals will halt sector decline
Wireless infra player’s General Manager Diego Galli sees prospective wave of Italian market consolidation as good news for operators’ suppliers, including TowerCos, by strengthening telcos’ cash position and arresting recent slump in spend.
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Financial & Performance
UK’s Digital 9 reshapes boardroom, weighs Arqiva options as wind-down progresses
Former Bank of Scotland exec Eric Sanderson named Chair to lead wind-down process, with one or more other Non-Execs to be added in near future. Steps made in asset sale but future of Arqiva stake not yet decided.
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Strategy & Change
American Tower eyes US expansion of Power as a Service in efficiencies pursuit amidst M&A hiatus
ATC looks to ship high ROI ‘Power as a Service’ learnings to US market, having proven benefits in Africa, and to transfer US automation credentials to other geographies. Hunt for global efficiencies may also lead to monetisation of sub-scale assets, with focus on operational excellence meaning “nothing compelling” to buy, for now…
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Interview
Brace for ‘AI tidal wave’: Kao Data urges UK data centre step change
Next-gen specialist discusses Manchester Data Centre of the North investment sweetspot, need to prep for AI-fuelled tsunami of demand (nowhere in Europe ready). Read more…