BT appoints Allison Kirkby as CEO

BT has officially announced the appointment of Allison Kirkby as its new chief executive.

Kirkby will succeed Philip Jansen and is expected to assume the role by the end of January 2024 at the latest.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have been appointed as the next chief executive of BT Group. BT is such an important company for the UK, and our many customers both in the UK and internationally and is uniquely placed to help everyone benefit from the rapid advances in...

31 July 2023 | 5G

Vodafone UK and Three to announce merger ‘Friday or early next week’

Vodafone and Three-owner CK Hutchison are expected to announce the merger of their British operations “as soon as Friday or early next week”.

The report comes via Reuters which cited three sources familiar with the plans. According to the sources, the long-anticipated merger is now in its final stages.

According to insiders, the structure of the deal will adhere to Vodafone's previous announcement in October. Under the arrangement, Vodafone would own 51 percent of...

7 June 2023 | 5G

Vodafone and Three prepare to announce merger

Vodafone and Three are close to agreeing on a merger of their UK telecoms businesses, creating the biggest mobile operator in the country.

The deal is expected to be worth £15 billion ($19 billion) and will knock BT-owned EE from the top spot in terms of mobile subscribers.

The merged company's equity is valued at around £9 billion, with £6 billion in debt. The merger is expected to be agreed this month, with a formal announcement due to be made "very...

4 May 2023 | 5G

BT is reportedly looking for a new CEO

According to reports, BT Group CEO Philip Jansen may be leaving his position.

BT Group includes Openreach, EE, and Plusnet. Sources for the Mail on Sunday claim that BT Group has begun searching for a replacement for Jansen, who has held the position since 2018.

During his tenure, Jansen has focused on expanding the rollout of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) across the UK, reduced the company's focus on the pay-TV market, and undertook a significant rebranding across...

27 March 2023 | 5G

Amazon unveils terminals for its Starlink rival

Amazon has unveiled its first Project Kuiper terminals as it prepares to go head-to-head with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s plan to build a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet anywhere in the world.

“Our goal with Project Kuiper is not just to connect unserved and underserved communities, but also to delight them with the quality, reliability, and value of their service,” said Rajeev Badyal,...

15 March 2023 | Broadband

Hackers steal the data of millions of AT&T customers

A vendor hack has resulted in the data of millions of AT&T customers being stolen.

AT&T is sending emails to around nine million customers to alert them of the theft of their data.

The attackers did not breach AT&T directly but compromised the systems of a marketing vendor used by the US telecom giant.

All impacted users had CPNI (Customer Proprietary Network Information) stolen, including phone numbers, full names, and email addresses. A smaller...

13 March 2023 | AT&T

First operator goes live on ‘pioneering’ mobile infrastructure

The first operator has gone live on “pioneering” mobile infrastructure that will host multiple telcos.

EE has joined a connectivity pilot led by Freshwave that will deliver enhanced 4G and 5G coverage to users along Queen Victoria Street in London.

James Hope, Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks at EE, said:

“High capacity, super-fast connectivity is essential for consumers and businesses today, with demand for data and low-latency networks...

20 December 2022 | 5G

Musk says Beijing disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine

According to Elon Musk, Beijing made clear that it disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine.

Russia attempted to sever Ukraine’s connectivity in the early stages of its invasion. The aggressor even targeted satellite operators like Viasat, which spread to neighbouring countries and risked triggering a collective NATO response.

Starlink was quickly rolled out in Ukraine to help the country defend itself, ensure it doesn’t become isolated, and document Russia’s...

11 October 2022 | Legislation & Government

GSMA: EU’s slow 5G rollout threatens ‘Digital Decade’ goals

The GSMA warns that a slow 5G rollout in the EU compared to rival markets threatens the bloc’s “Digital Decade” goals.

In the 2022 Mobile Economy Europe report, the GSMA notes that 108 operators in 34 markets had launched commercial 5G services at the end of June. Six percent of Europeans are now enjoying 5G.

Norway is leading 5G adoption, with 16 percent of citizens using the latest mobile network technology. The GSMA notes that “positive momentum” is also...

7 October 2022 | 5G

Vodafone confirms merger talks with Three UK

Vodafone has confirmed that it’s in talks with Three to merge their UK operations.

Following recent speculation, Vodafone confirmed today that it’s in discussions with Three-owner CK Hutchison Holdings Limited to combine the companies.

The proposed transaction would result in Vodafone owning 51 percent of the combined business while CK Hutchison would own the remaining 49 percent.

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch, comments: “Two of the UK mobile...

3 October 2022 | Networks