Advanced Television

MNO

Vodafone’s Colao to step down

The Board of global telco Vodafone Group has revealed the succession plan for the role of Group Chief Executive. Effective October 1st 2018, Vittorio Colao will be succeeded by Group Chief Financial Officer Nick Read. At the date of the Group’s Annual General Meeting on July 27th 2018, Deputy CFO Margherita Della Valle will succeed […]

May 15, 2018

Vodafone/LG €18.4bn deal

In a transaction that it says accelerates its converged communications strategy through in-market consolidation in its largest market, Germany, and in its Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets, Vodafone has agreed to acquire Liberty Global’s operations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania for an enterprise value of €18.4 billion. This is expected to […]

May 9, 2018By Colin Mann

Ofcom: Average UK broadband speeds up 28%

Ofcom’s annual Home Broadband Performance report reveals the actual broadband speeds that UK residential consumers experienced in November 2017. This study uses a representative panel of over 4,000 volunteers across the UK who have connected monitoring units to their routers. Findings from the report include: Average broadband speeds have increased significantly. Average download speeds rose […]

May 9, 2018

Australia: Premier League boosts Optus subs

More Australians than three years ago are using Optus fixed broadband and mobile phone services following Optus’s purchase of the exclusive Australian rights to English Premier League football. Optus signed a three year broadcast deal for the Australian rights to the Premier League in late 2015 for A$63 million (€39.2m) per year and has this […]

May 8, 2018

Ofcom reveals best and worst ISPs

Ofcom has revealed which broadband and phone companies are falling far short in serving their customers, and those who are setting a strong standard for satisfaction. In a comprehensive survey of telecoms customer service, the media regulator shows how each major provider performs on measures including customer satisfaction, complaints and call waiting times. Overall, eight […]

May 3, 2018

T-Mobile, Sprint in $146bn merger

Suggesting the move will create the only company with the network capacity needed to launch rapidly a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth critical to extend the USA’s global Internet leadership in the 5G era, US telcos T-Mobile US and Sprint Corporation are to merge in an all-stock transaction at a fixed exchange […]

April 30, 2018

Report: China leads in 5G race  

China holds a narrow lead in overall 5G readiness ahead of South Korea and the US, according to a report from global telecommunications research firm, Analysys Mason for US mobile industry trade body the CTIA. Underscoring the importance of America maintaining its global wireless leadership, additional research by Recon Analytics found that US 4G leadership […]

April 17, 2018

Ofcom finalises spectrum auction

UK comms regulator Ofcom has published the final outcome of its auction to release more airwaves for 4G mobile and future 5G services. On April 5th, Ofcom announced which companies had won the right to use spectrum in two bands through the ‘principal’ stage of the auction, and the amounts they would pay. It has […]

April 13, 2018By Colin Mann

Analyst: Europe left in 5G starting blocks

Analyst firm CCS Insight has raised its near-term forecast for global 5G connections following impressive progress made by the industry over the past six months. This headway has been accelerated by agreement on standards, trials, deployment of chipsets and infrastructure, and operator commitments to the technology. A significant milestone was the ratification of the non-standalone […]

April 6, 2018

India: Netflix, Jio hold partnership talks

Reports out of India suggest that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has held talks with India’s fast-growing 4G cellular network operator Reliance Jio. The reports suggest that Netflix is targeting a potential 100 million subscribers in India, and that Reliance Jio’s existing 160+ million subscribers could fast-track that ambition. A deal has not been done, but […]

April 6, 2018By Chris Forrester