In a strategic move to bolster its mobile network, Australia’s premier telecom firm, Telstra, acquires local operations of small cell provider Dense Air. Both financial details and timelines of the transaction remain veiled. This comes after the Australia Competition Tribunal blocked Telstra’s partnership with TPG, favoring competition and avoiding regional coverage setback. While rivals speculate, Dense Air’s retreat from Trans-Tasman markets coincides with Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners’ takeover. This deal provides Telstra’s network expansion plans with crucial additional spectrum capacity.
In a surprising shift, Cellnex decides to offload its private networks niche to Boldyn Networks, refocusing its operations back to its base business of towers. This comes despite previously earmarking the private networks sector as critical for growth and the Superlative successes recorded by Edzcom, the Finnish-based firm that designs and runs 4G and 5G networks. This transition aims to trim the company’s debt. In contrast, Boldyn Networks is ready to capitalize on the promising growth in 5G private networks, projected to hit $109.4 billion by 2030.
Telefónica, a Spanish operator group, is set to acquire the remaining shares of Telefónica Deutschland, taking a decisive leap in consolidating their place in the European telecom sector. This bid, however, isn’t without its potential hurdles. For stakeholders to see potential, they need to be convinced the company’s predicted growth won’t overshadow the offered price. Meanwhile, a surprising twist comes into play as Saudi operator group, STC, expresses its interest to buy a stake in Telefónica, triggering a wave of political interest in Spain.
Navigating controversy and complex negotiations, Rogers Communications’ acquisition of Shaw Communications, perhaps unexpectedly, resulted in significant job cuts. Amidst skepticism and fears of further layoffs, Rogers remains steadfast in their stance, insisting on their commitment to job creation. However, the telecommunications landscape is a convoluted jigsaw, and this merger has merely revealed another challenging piece.
One New Zealand’s strategic acquisition of local operations from UK-small cell provider Dense Air aims to strengthen mid-band spectrum. Promising enhancements to fixed-wireless access services, this merge incorporates a significant 70 MHz of spectrum into One NZ’s 4G and 5G networks. This move aligns with the company’s efforts towards modernizing its network, hinting towards a customer-centric future with expanded 5G network and possible SpaceX collaboration.
This saga involving T-Mobile’s massive $23 billion merger takes a fresh twist as the company is pushed into the spotlight over allegations of anti-competitive activities. Seven complainants allege that the consolidation of the mobile space resulted in AT&T and Verizon hiking their prices. With these lawsuit-triggered questions featuring at the heart of the upcoming Connected America conference, the telecom industry braces itself for this landmark case’s outcomes.
European telecoms investment firm, Zegona Communications, is reportedly in advanced talks with Vodafone to acquire a hefty stake in Vodafone Spain. Negotiations heat up amid rising competition in Spain’s telecoms market and looming industry-wide reshuffles. However, questions remain about the potential investment’s structure and implications for Vodafone’s balance sheet.
In a bold amalgamation move, Orange and MasMovil are set to combine their Spanish telecom operations in a €19 billion deal. European regulators, however, have expressed concerns, fearing a spike in consumer costs due to a potential market monopoly. To address these apprehensions, Orange and MasMovil are shedding some assets, with Romanian telecom Digi earmarked to acquire parts of the business, paving the way for a more competitive landscape. Californian tech enthusiasts, early adopters and IT professionals are keenly observing this development, which is seen as a yardstick for regulator sentiment towards large-scale telecom consolidation in Europe.
Ooma, Inc., a leading smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, has successfully acquired 2600Hz, Inc. The acquisition, valued at approximately $33 million in cash, closed on October 20, 2023. This strategic move is set to enhance Ooma’s business solutions and expand its market reach.
Golden opportunity or a hasty gamble? KKR’s pursuit to acquire Telecom Italia’s anticipated NetCo has been met with challenges from Vivendi, TIM’s largest shareholder. Confronting the complexity of separate asset sales and the valuation tug-of-war, it’s clear there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
