Italy’s Ministry of Enterprise proposes €1.5 billion in support for the nation’s telecom sector, including tax breaks and funding for fiber upgrades, potentially revitalizing the struggling industry and fostering a competitive environment.
EQT’s acquisition of a 60% stake in a new company formed to own and operate Wind Tre’s fixed and mobile network assets promises innovation and growth for the Italian telecoms sector. While the deal is still awaiting regulatory approval, it highlights a broader trend in infrastructure monetization and strategic partnerships, paving the way for sustainable market competition.
Italian telecom giant TIM’s nine-year Power Purchase Agreement with ERG demonstrates a commitment to eco-friendly energy, sourcing 34% of its energy needs through PPAs, and targeting Net Zero emissions by 2040.
Ofcom has a plan for phone boxes Under new guidelines published by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, stronger security for public call boxes went into effect. The new guidelines update from Ofcom’s aims to guarantee that strategically located phone boxes are not removed and that they are modified to provide extra services. As a result, phone boxes will be protected against removal if they are still needed by a local community. Millions of UK residents continue to rely on older technologies such as landlines and payphones for connectivity. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mryanv67 TIM to cut 1,200 jobs to minimize costs TIM has reportedly secured an agreement with labor unions that will allow the company to cut up to 1,200 positions, allowing TIM to save significantly on domestic personnel expenses. Cuts will be implemented through a voluntary early retirement program, which will be the first step in the Italian incumbent’s larger…
Orange and MasMovil in talks about joint venture Orange and MasMovil have stated that they are in talks to launch a 50:50 joint venture (JV) in Spain. Orange’s Spanish subsidiary is valued at €8.1 billion, while MasMovil is valued at €11.5 billion, for a total enterprise value of €19.6 billion. The merged operator would include around 7.1 million fixed line customers and 20.2 million mobile users, with a combined FTTH network of approximately 16 million residences. The operators claim that the combination would result in a slew of meaningful synergies of more than €450 million within three years of the merger closing. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5d9h3y7 Google acquires Mandiant to boost its cloud offering In a move aimed at bolstering the capabilities of its Google Cloud platform, Google has agreed to pay $5.4 billion for the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. To address harmful information and software vulnerabilities, Google Cloud currently offers…
Samsung introduces S22 flagship smartphones At its most recent Galaxy Unpacked presentation, Samsung Electronics announced a new lineup of premium smartphones. The S22 series has three 5G models, including the top-of-the-range Ultra edition, which includes features from Samsung’s previous Note handsets. With an Armor Aluminum frame used in all three versions, Samsung promises a highly durable phone. In addition, to lessen the environmental impact of the smartphones, the business has used recovered fishing nets and post-consumer trash in numerous components such as the speaker and keys. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yc7efuay FCC to tackle broadband discrimination The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the creation of a new task force charged with establishing regulations that encourage equitable access to broadband as the organization prepares to crack down on digital discrimination. The task group will focus on developing regulations that prevent discrimination in broadband deployment based on a community’s income, racial or…
Vodafone and Iliad are in negotiations to merge their respective businesses in Italy. Such a merger would provide advantages for both corporations in one of Europe’s most competitive markets and should be positive for the industry in general. Discussions between the two corporations are ongoing, and both sides are actively looking for ways to connect their separate businesses together in Italy. If the merger is approved, it will create a telecommunications giant with over 36% mobile market penetration and combined sales of nearly $6.80 billion. Vodafone and The Iliad both declined to comment on the negotiations. The talks take place as the local incumbent, Telecom Italia, continues to evaluate a $12.25 billion acquisition offer from US investor KKR aimed at taking Italy’s largest phone business private. Industry leaders have frequently recommended the pursuit of four-to-three telecom mergers, which may generate cost synergies and boost margins by reducing…
Telefonica to offer industrial 5G services in 2022 For the first time, Telefonica will provide a range of industrial 5G services to selected partners starting in January 2022. In recent years, Telefonica has tested approximately 80 use cases across several industries, with a handful of solutions now ready for implementation. Telefonica will market three particular 5G use cases for industry through its Telefonica Tech unit: autonomously guided vehicles (ATGs), remote support solutions and drone solutions. Customers will be able to access all of these services via Telefonica’s public mobile network, as well as a virtual or dedicated private network. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/46x6mcdj Verizon scores a $34.6M contract The US Department of Energy has awarded Verizon Public Sector two Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contracts for $34.6 million. Verizon will offer voice and data services to a variety of DOE sites, including the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Under the terms…
Google introduces Distributed Cloud In order to address the needs of its enterprise customers, Google has announced their Distributed Cloud, which will allow users to balance their workload on the public cloud and private infrastructure. It is “a portfolio of solutions consisting of hardware and software that extend our infrastructure to the edge and into your data centers,” commented Sachin Gupta the GM and VP of Product for IaaS at Google. Built on Anthos, the Google Distributed Cloud is the perfect platform for local data processing, edge computing and on-premises modernization. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mc2ye95c Facebook rolls out Live Audio Rooms for creators worldwide Live Audio Rooms, Facebook’s new feature designed to help public figures and groups to connect with their communities, has been released to a global audience. First launched only in the US back in June and limited to only iOS users, the solution…
INWIT, an Italian infrastructure business, has announced the deployment of its first wooden mobile telecommunications tower, made entirely of sustainable materials, as part of a two-year environmental strategy. The tower is located northeast of Milan, next to a large park and a major motorway. The mobile tower’s construction is composed of glued laminated wood, entirely sustainable and circular material, an alternative to steel. The tower is 40 meters tall and has four walkways to position the antennas and radio connections of the hosting operators. The tower is located next to the Est delle Cave Park and will provide cellular network coverage in the region, as well as emergency telephone services, which are especially important for highway traffic on Milan’s A51 Tangenziale Est ring road, close to the tower. INWIT hopes to leverage the project to assist in restoring the park by applying the finest environmental and landscape…
