All UK Fibre Challengers articles – Page 3
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Financial & Performance
Infra investors line up for stake in Virgin Media O2’s new NetCo
Q1 FY24: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says Boston Consultancy Group and Deloitte hired for financial and project planning, as investors appear interested in fibre spin-out plans. Despite confidence in fibre growth opportunity, VM O2’s fixed customer base declined in an overall uneasy quarter for the operator…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: squeezing value from investment, Lightning administration unpicked, SiFi lands in America
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including infra owners declaring if they’ve got it, they might as well use it; a Lightning‑quick insolvency resolution; the Welsh sector veteran bringing fibre to the US; people moves, and plenty more…
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Financial & Performance
Lightning Fibre’s quick insolvency switch could show the way for struggling altnets
Lightning Fibre’s £40m pre-pack sale out of administration and back into the hands of the investment fund that had supported its initial build may prove a template for struggling UK altnets as expectations on performance levels rise, but at what cost for suppliers and partners? Read more…
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Interview
Netomnia: capex inefficiency is blocking consolidation opportunity
Speaking to TelcoTitans, Netomnia founder and CEO Jeremy Chelot suggests too many altnets are banking on unachievable take-up goals, and that playing fast and loose with investor money has resulted in a block on viable valuations for consolidation.
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M&A
CityFibre ignites M&A plan with Lit Fibre buy
Altnet lights M&A touchpaper with Lit Fibre deal, expands FTTP footprint and brings in Newlight Partners as minority investor. More to come from CityFibre soon…
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Public Affairs
Netomnia: UK’s One Touch Switch ‘hijacked’ by BT, VM O2 as scheme delayed again
Altnet CEO Jeremy Chelot tells TelcoTitans that the UK’s One Touch Switching hub is unviable under current governance, with BT and Virgin Media said to be dragging feet and over-complicating proceedings. A new date has been set, but concerns remain. The alternative? ‘I’ve built it, and it took me three weeks’…
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People
Ex-BT CEO Patterson takes board seat at altnet aggregator X3T
Interconnect platform operator X3T bolsters board with UK telecoms hall-of-famers Gavin Patterson and O2 UK’s Derek McManus.
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Interview
Fibrus preps off-net retail expansion, asserts leadership in own footprint
CEO interview: having achieved FTTP leadership and segment-topping KPIs within own fibre footprint, altnet now challenging traditional incumbents on own turf. Northern Ireland a case study in high-penetration and how hyperlocal majorly disrupts network, ISP status quo…
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Network & Infrastructure
‘Focus and finance’: Telefónica sees UK NetCo adding fuel to fibre build
Virgin Media O2’s co-parent paints new, networks-focused UK business as an engine to accelerate roll out and monetisation of fibre connections.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: billion-pound network investments, digital inclusivity, and French fibre M&A on the menu
VM O2 moves to forge UK NetCo/ServCo split in operations; associate nexfibre to remain separate, commits £1bn to 2024 build; Orange CEO suggests M&A still on agenda to expand domestic fibre footprint; TalkTalk in negotiations over wholesale arm sale; much more…
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Profile
UK altnet Freedom Fibre brings “new tricks” to crowded, fragmented market
Profile: Freedom Fibre CEO Neil McArthur is a serial network builder making moves in the UK altnet market with his latest venture.
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Network & Infrastructure
Virgin Media O2 fibre NetCo carve out coming for Openreach (and ISP clients)
Potential number-two NetCo to be created by VM O2 and owners Liberty Global and Telefónica, with the aim of creating a scale wholesale fibre challenger; open to M&A consolidation; nexfibre remains arms length…
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Venturing & Investments
nexfibre readies billion-pound spend to snag second spot in UK fibre build race
£1bn to be pulled from funding pot as wholesale NetCo looks to identify as second in 2024’s UK fibre race, in terms of both additions and overall challenger build-out; confirmed remaining outside of VM O2 NetCo carve out…
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Public Affairs
UK: Lords maul government on digital exclusion, call for greater altnet role
Locally-focused altnets are seen as a valuable tool in bridging the Digital Divide by peers tasked with assessing the costs and consequences of digital exclusion.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: CityFibre asserts Project Gigabit dominance; 1&1 makes more infra deployment promises…
CityFibre grabs five more Project Gigabit contracts; WightFibre extends Gigabit Island coverage in battle against Openreach; 1&1 sets more targets for antenna site deployments; much more…
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Deep Dive
Profile: WightFibre closes in on Gigabit Island dream; Openreach relegated to wannabe
Isle of Wight operator edges towards completion of Gigabit Island build. Now to deliver on hefty financials. Petri dish to watch Openreach play (very distant) challenger to hyperlocal with real moat. Read on to find out more…
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Network & Infrastructure
CityFibre takes lion’s share of UK’s latest £460m Project Gigabit tranche
Altnets continue to own Project Gigabit, with CityFibre even more dominant, extending first mover advantage over Openreach/BT and nexfibre/VM O2. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: end of the road for Digital 9, OneWeb’s space odyssey troubles continue
Digital 9 decides to wind down; OneWeb misses ‘global’ coverage targets; CityFibre aiming to get more active on M&A; more…
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Financial & Performance
UK’s Digital 9 Infrastructure to wind down, sell off assets
UK infrastructure investor proposes selling most of portfolio to pay off debt after completing strategic review.
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: NetCo-ServCo splits, fresh SatCo investment, tower M&A among hot topics
Liberty Global mulls over European NetCo-ServCo split; AST SpaceMobile secures big MNO/Google investment; Actis expands tower portfolio; CityFibre could now be preeminent UK fibre challenger in possible tipping point for fibre NetCo/wholesale business models. 20+ stories condensed in one weekly update…