UK Infra – Page 14
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Network & Infrastructure
How CityFibre rolls with supply chain turbulence
Fibre builders not immune from global supply chain chaos. UK altnets feeling the pinch in chip and labour shortages, alongside rising costs. CityFibre supply chain director shares mitigation tactics.
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Premium
Vodafone bulks up with full-fibre wholesale deals
Deals give Vodafone UK access to eight million full-fibre homes by April 2022. VfUK open to more wholesale partnerships. If Virgin Media O2 needs convincing for its wholesale plans, VfUK is interested.
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Public Affairs
Altnets gird for legal battle over Openreach FTTP pricing — report
CityFibre said to be heading up legal challenge to Ofcom’s Equinox decision. Rural fibre builder Gigaclear among altnets joining forces to fight back against Openreach’s lower FTTP pricing structure.
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Network & Infrastructure
Colloms: DCMS must “crack on” with reform to back fibre
Openreach MD of Corporate Affairs confident on business’s ability to meet government goals on fibre deployment, but commercial programme will need support to maintain momentum. Physical access to sites potentially a huge obstacle to the rollout in both urban and rural areas, but “common sense” updates to legislation could ...
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BT engages virtual twin(s) on infrastructure resiliency
Group one of three national infrastructure owners to pledge resources to project using simulation tech to overcome impact of climate change on UK’s built environment. Tranche of UK universities and research institutes involved too. Yet another example of BT dipping toes into ‘digital twin’ realm.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Europe: VfD’s joy over Telekom Deutschland fibre ruling
VfD gets one up on rival Telekom Deutschland over FTTP; VfUK flags progress in trials with Ericsson on reducing massive MIMO energy consumption.
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People
Openreach names new fibre delivery guy
Change at top of Fibre & Network Delivery unit as Matthew Hemmings comes in for Kevin Murphy. Internal hire sees Hemmings take lead of team focused on expanding Openreach’s UK-wide fibre network.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT’s Watson highlights fibre’s central place in network ‘jigsaw’
CTO plays down fixed wireless’s role in meeting UK’s connectivity challenge. CityFibre and Hyperoptic welcome Ofcom’s WFTMR, but want Openreach to remain under strict scrutiny. Virgin Media O2 something of an elephant in the room as altnets pitch themselves as more agile rivals.
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Premium
Vodafone Group’s Dutch and British tower partners look to cash in
Liberty CFO says group “not in love with” tower ownership and keen to unlock value in Belgium, Netherlands, and UK. Telefónica hands Goldman Sachs reins to examine prospective Cornerstone share sale.
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Premium
CityFibre bags fresh cash injection
Openreach challenger announces fresh funds through stake sale and bond issue. Capital “enables” Project Gigabit ambitions. CityFibre’s FTTP rollout reaches 650,000 premises. Altnet momentum builds with an estimated £8bn in investment publicly promised.
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M&A
Telefónica joins Liberty in move towards UK tower sale
Goldman Sachs reportedly handed reins to examine prospective Cornerstone share sale.
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Premium
Openreach and Nokia trial 25Gbps FTTP technology
Other FTTP partners ADTRAN and Huawei are said to favour 50G PON.
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Premium
Altnets object to Openreach FTTP price proposal
Regulatory spat over wholesale FTTP pricing spills out into the open. Openreach says new prices offer certainty and encourage FTTP take-up. Fibre rivals claim the cheaper wholesale pricing scheme will reduce infrastructure competition and deter investment. Ofcom provisionally says no action needed, but final decision is expected by the ...
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Network & Infrastructure
Liberty sees UK–Dutch tower separation “sooner than later”
CFO says group “not in love with” tower ownership and keen to unlock value. Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneZiggo assets in focus.
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M&A
DT interest Community Fibre subsumes rival
FTTP altnet backed by BT shareholder absorbs assets of smaller fibre builder. Business now looking “beyond London” as it continues to accelerate growth. Community Fibre’s FTTP footprint stands at 300,000 premises. Acquisition not impacting commercial operations or leadership structure of “independent” merger partner.
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Network & Infrastructure
Jansen now sees BT chasing 30 million premises with full-fibre
Extra five million presented as ‘infill’ and presumably more rural. Immediate competitive riposte to news of Virgin Media O2 FTTP retrofit, which it neatly doubles. Jansen says BT not concerned, but challenger altnets should be. No rush for fibre JV partner, but Jansen reveals a UK compatriot would be ...
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Premium
VM O2 bites bullet and pledges fibre future
A future upgrade of VM O2 fixed infrastructure will see coaxial cable edged out and fibre deployed throughout the operator’s footprint. Switching to XGSPON instead of DOCSIS 4.0 pricy, but manageable within modest budgets and with multiple longer term benefits. Pragmatic approach to fibre is partly driven by the ...
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Premium
Digging the UK fibre scene: competition hots up
Investment funds continue to flood fibre altnets, with emerging challengers collectively committing to passing more than 20 million homes in coming decade and many billions in investment promised.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT bags first UK customer win as neutral host provider
Bruntwood SciTech, a property provider to the science and tech sector, signs on the dotted line. EE, as part of the deal, leverages parent company’s indoor neutral host solution at Cheshire’s Alderley Park.
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Network & Infrastructure
DT cash flows to Community Fibre amid altnet boom
Urban fibre outfitter backed by BT stakeholder Deutsche Telekom accelerates growth, as challenge to Openreach builds.