Swisscom has revealed that its Italian subsidiary, FastWeb, has sold its 4.5% stake in FiberCop to Optics BidCo, a subsidiary of KKR, for €439 million. FiberCop, formed in 2021 by Telecom Italia (TIM), KKR, and FastWeb, manages the ‘last mile’ fibre network, connecting homes to street cabinets.
Europe’s telecom industry is alert as the European Union investigates competitive fairness amid KKR’s acquisition of Telecom Italia’s fixed-line network. Questions arise about the impact on market competition and the deal’s opposition by Vivendi, the largest stakeholder in Telecom Italia.
Orange and MásMóvil have officially sealed their merger deal, marking a significant development in Spain’s telecom sector. The joint venture, which holds equal shares from both companies, is poised to become a dominant force in the market. Despite the completion of the merger, the new entity is still without a definitive name, leaving industry observers speculating on its future identity.
In a significant move aimed at reducing its hefty debt, Altice has decided to offload its French media operations to the maritime giant CMA CGM for €1.55 billion. The deal, structured as a cash transaction, sees CMA CGM acquiring an 80% share, while the remaining 20% goes to Merit France, a holding company related to the shipping group. This strategic sale encompasses Altice Media, the parent company of the well-regarded news channel BFM and RMC, a radio broadcaster.
In a surprising turn of events, Vodafone has once again declined an enhanced merger proposal from Iliad for its Italian operations, despite the latter’s efforts to sweeten the deal. Iliad had revised its initial offer, made two years ago, in December, proposing a 50:50 joint venture that valued Vodafone Italia at €10.45 billion. This arrangement would have netted Vodafone €6.5 billion in cash and a €2 billion shareholder loan, with additional cash influx opportunities through a buyout option.
EllaLink has been selected by French Guiana’s SPLANG to construct an 8,000 km submarine link, a pioneering step towards direct, high-capacity connectivity between Latin America and Europe. This commendable feat also includes the addition of a 2,100 km cable extension, further broadening the EllaLink network. Embracing cutting-edge technology, such as the ROADM WSS branching unit, the extended network ensures direct and speedy connectivity from French Guiana to Europe, with an RTD latency of under 80 ms.
In a futuristic leap, French telecom giant Orange, in partnership with IT leader Capgemini, has launched commercial operations of ‘Bleu’, a sophisticated cloud platform tailored specifically for the French clientele. This solution, engineered jointly with Microsoft, promises enhanced user access to Microsoft 365 and Azure services. Christel Heydemann, Orange’s new CEO, envisions the project addressing data protection challenges, even as it adheres to French authority standards.
Last Friday experienced a network issue affecting many Three customers, drawing nearly 18,000 complaints. Meanwhile, Three is discussing a merger with Vodafone, a move subject to scrutiny by the Competition and Markets Authority which is currently conducting a formal Phase 1 investigation.
Magenta Telekom collaborates with Mavenir, deploying a Cloud-Native IMS solution for advanced voice services like VoLTE and VoWi-Fi, supporting 5G Voice and WebRTC. Snom introduces the C620 DECT conference phone, offering a cordless solution with HD audio quality, wireless microphones, and flexibility for varied environments. CallTrackingMetrics unveils LeadReactor for outbound calling and enhances Zoom integration, optimizing agent productivity. Apple surprises with plans for RCS support on iOS, aiming to improve interoperability between Android and iPhone users,
In the ongoing debate over Big Tech’s ‘fair share’ contribution to telecom infrastructures, new findings from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications call into question the validity of the argument. BIPT concludes attributing Big Tech solely for data streams might be over simplistic, citing investments made by Content Application Providers in broader infrastructures. The study raises important concerns about the potential negative impact for end-users, small local CAPs, and the principle of net neutrality.
