UK Infra
-
Network & Infrastructure
BT weaves Equinix into expanding Global Fabric platform
Network-as-a-service platform deployed at 30 Equinix data centres, with another ten in the offing.
-
Strategy & Change
Euro data centres: infra crunch driving investors to new tier of hub cities — report
Consultancy Eight Advisory highlights rise of emerging challengers to Europe’s dominant ‘FLAP-D’ metros, aided by greater availability of power, land, and labour resource elsewhere. Learn more…
-
Suppliers & SCM
Hitachi–Telent JV picks up £80m telecoms deal for HS2
Rail and infrastructure specialists unite to secure contract overseeing high‑speed rail links comms requirements.
-
Financial & Performance
Eutelsat overhauls board as losses mount
Challenged SatCo performs boardroom reshuffle and financial reshaping to drive greater “flexibility”. CEO Eva Berneke affirms LEO expansion on the way, with positive developments in last six months…
-
M&A
Virgin Media O2 said to attract first offers in £1bn NetCo stake sale
Spanish media reports Virgin Media O2 owners Telefónica and Liberty Global have received non-binding offers from investors for a 40% stake in the planned NetCo carve out, with BlackRock and CPP Investments in the mixer.
-
M&A
CityFibre confirms M&A outreach, predicts 2025 acceleration and ‘inflection point’
UK’s largest altnet actively engaging rival FibreCos to discuss rollup deals. Sees M&A as “major opportunity” to up competitive pressure on incumbent Openreach. Read more about financial execution, XGS-PON and Sky amongst defining 2025 aspects after first year of profitability
-
Network & Infrastructure
Shared Rural Network expands reach as BDUK cutback rumours swirl
Weekend reports suggest operators are irked by possibility that their coverage investment and network optimisation improvements could see the government scale back financial commitments to rural coverage…
-
Financial & Performance
In depth: Openreach line losses accelerate, fibre gaps widen as strategic vulnerability
Q3 FY24–25: BT’s wholesale division again reports strong financials and record fibre build, but a deeper look reveals a worrying trend of accelerating line losses. This analysis delves into the implications of altnet and Project Gigabit competition, eroding historic market dominance.
-
Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone puts D2D plans in motion with fresh SpaceMobile trials
Vodafone reveals first “space-to-land” gateway to enable direct-to-device services. Further trials of SpaceMobile technology pencilled in for spring 2025 as Group moves closer to launching Europe- and Africa-wide services after launch delays and legal troubles…
-
Interview
CityFibre sees commercial promise, ‘moral obligation’ in Project Gigabit
CityFibre’s public sector lead Andy Nash talks to TelcoTitans on the altnet’s emergence as a strategic government supplier for Project Gigabit, answering “the big exam question” on going beyond initial goals, and the moral duty of delivering rural connectivity…
-
M&A
FullFibre, Zzoomm to form integrated altnet, fuel further M&A
UK fibre altnets to combine for a shared 600,000 ready for service network with 65,000 customers, adding FullFibre’s wholesale platform to Zzoomm’s retail.
-
M&A
Boldyn enters German market with private 5G biz buy
UK-based neutral host player bulks up private 5G network offering with acquisition of Germany’s Smart Mobile Labs. Agreement comes as Boldyn looks to expand in private 5G sector, having participated in several projects over the past year…
-
Strategy & Change
Is UK’s AI Action Plan under-powered?
UK government unveils aspirational plan for growing the AI sector, with a partner sought for a new data centre in its first AI Growth Zone, but questions remain about the power capacity to underpin the impending data and AI explosion…
-
Network & Infrastructure
Portugal, Sweden, and Spain lead race towards copper retirement
New Copper Switch‑Off Tracker names and shames markets that are dragging their feet on legacy network closures ahead of European Commission’s 2030 target date.
-
Interview
nexfibre: Keep leash on Openreach to drive UK fibre competition
nexfibre development chief Giles Rowbotham speaks with TelcoTitans on need to drive UK fibre competition by maintaining regulation of Openreach. Says Ofcom needs to keep an eye on wholesale pricing and copper-to-fibre migration process, as well as consolidation, investment, PIA, and local-level factors within wider market…
-
Network & Infrastructure
Deep dive: international response to escalating subsea comms risk after Baltics disruption
Latest apparent act of network sabotage in the Baltics underlines heightened need for action to ensure resilience of critical global infrastructure, with UK, EU, and NATO looking to ramp security of increasingly vulnerable cables…
-
Network & Infrastructure
UK’s Project Gigabit: billions committed, but just 1.6% take-up at last count
Nearly four years in, government’s Project Gigabit spend reaches £2.2bn with latest Openreach contracts, but connections faltering at just 11,000 as commitments and subsidies yet to translate to boots on the ground. With another £400m in the procurement pipeline for 2025, when will cash finally convert to real impact? In depth non-chummy review of UK rural fibre programme inside…
-
Public Affairs
UK Home Office backs £650m class action against Motorola in latest Airwave twist
Emergency services network provider faces a claim that excessive pricing policies over a three year period cost up to 2,000 public safety organisations more than £600m.
-
Network & Infrastructure
Amazon shuttles towards UK Project Kuiper launch in 2025
Kuiper Systems preparing to commercially launch UK satellite broadband services during 2025, following launch of first-generation satellites expected in the coming months. Move comes as demand for UK satellite connectivity ramps up as rural alternative to full-fibre…
-
M&A
BT advances asset-light strategy with Irish data centre sale
Equinix agrees to acquire BT Ireland’s data centre business following rumours of a wider Irish divestment; Group CEO Allison Kirkby ramps up her ‘get lean’ agenda beyond UK connectivity…