Spanish telcos have lost their fight against the government-imposed 0.9 per cent annual tax on their revenues to finance public broadcaster RTVE following the EC’s decision to withdraw its appeal before the Luxembourg Court, shortly after the latter ruled that the similar tax legislation in France is compatible with European regulations. The European Court is […]
With significant reform of the current patchwork system of regulations governing telecommunications in the European Union there could be up to €750 billion in GDP growth and 5.5 million jobs by 2020, according to a study by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO). The study details how a […]
Bharti Airtel is in talks with US telco giant Liberty Media to sell a stake in its unlisted DTH business, as compulsory digitisation and higher foreign ownership limit drive firms to seek capital and market reach. According to reports, Bharti has informed three private equity firms that it was keen on selling a larger stake […]
Speaking at the EU parliament in Brussels, EU digital commissioner Neelie Kroes has claimed that having a competitive single EU telecoms market could boost the region’s economy by €110 billion a year. “Quality communications for business could be worth €800 billion over 15 years,” she commented. “Broadband could create two million jobs. This is investing […]
Innovation is critical to telco survival, finds Ovum. Yet many operators miss the big picture, exaggerate the threat from OTT players, and misunderstand the broader benefits of innovation. New research from the analyst firm examined more than 3,500 new service launches since 2009, finding that telcos must compete less and collaborate more. When comparing telcos’ […]
A report from Deloitte reveals that the London technology, media and telecoms (TMT) sector generates an overall economic contribution of £125 billion (€147bn) a year to London and the rest of the UK. This accounts for 8 per cent of UK GDP. To ensure London remains a global TMT hub, the government and financial services […]
India has changed its rules regarding the percentage of foreign ownership allowed in its giant telcos. At present local ownership must limits foreign ownership to 74 per cent. Once ratified the new rules permit 100 per cent, however a non-Indian company will be limited to a 49 per cent stake. The balance no longer need […]
Italian pay-TV provider Mediaset Premium has teamed up with MSO Vodafone Italia to launch a joint TV Everywhere solution. Premium Everywhere costs from €39.90 per month and offers a selection of TV content and Italian league football from Mediaset Premium, which can be received on the TV set at home or on tablets, thanks to […]
Marc Watson, CEO of BT TV, has said the telco will “stick around for the long term” with its sports channels and declared that the company had “deep pockets” to enable it to compete for premium sports rights. He said that BT wanted BT Sport to grow its whole consumer business in the UK, and […]
Thousands of BT Vision pay-TV customers face losing access to Sky Sports from this weekend, as BT prepares to launch its own sports services ahead of the new Premier League football season. BT is to make its two new BT Sport channels available to BT Vision customers on DTT. In doing so, the channels it […]