Mike Fries, president and CEO of cable MSO Liberty Global, has reiterated his call for industry consolidation better to compete with global players. Fries’ refrain, regularly expressed at industry events such as ANGA COM, was aired during an interview on CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he also shared his thoughts on […]
AT&T, the second-largest US mobile-phone carrier, is set to buy NII Holdings’ Mexican wireless assets for $1.875 billion in its third deal to expand south of the US border. The acquisition includes companies that operate under the name Nextel Mexico, spectrum licences, network assets, retail stores and about 3 million customers. The purchase price doesn’t […]
While much has been made of Elon Musk’s plan for 4000 small orbiting satellites and Sir Richard Branson’s backing for a rival 2400 mini-satellites scheme, the fact is that Jersey-based O3b is already beginning to serve “the other 3 billion” of the planet’s under-served potential broadband users. O3b’s CEO Steve Collar told press at a […]
Telefónica has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Hutchison Whampoa in relation to Hutchison’s potential acquisition of O2 UK, Telefónica’s subsidiary in the UK, for £10.25 billion (€13.5bn) in cash. The agreement includes an initial amount of £9.25 billion which would be paid at closing of the transaction and an additional deferred payment of £1 […]
Tough approval conditions from the Spanish competition watchdog CNMC could see an end to Telefónica’s acquisition of Canal Plus. Negotiations between CNMC and Telefónica are reportedly about to collapse since the telco will not agree to share content and TV rights with rivals (Orange, Vodafone-ONO) as the CNMC is demanding to give its go-ahead to […]
Sky is talking to Telefónica about a link with the telco’s UK MNO foreshadowing a complete quad-play proposition. The talks come as BT confirms exclusive negotiations to buy 02 rival EE, having previously targetted O2. According to an FT report, Sky and Telefónica have been talking since late last year, as Sky has assessed its […]
The BBC says BBC3 is “not for sale because”, in response to a rumoured bid to buy the channel. Reports emerged on Tuesday that leading independent producers Jon Thoday and Jimmy Mulville, heads of production companies Avalon and Hat Trick respectively, were planning to submit a proposal to buy the TV channel, saving it from […]
In the run-up to Cable Congress in mid-March in Brussels, Matthias Kurth, Executive Chairman, Cable Europe, has suggested that Europeans might have the opportunity to lead the way when it comes to investment in broadband and digital infrastructure. In a blog post, Kurth noted that in the last few years, the cable sector had been […]
Goldman Sachs is busy buying up stakes in India’s cable industry. It has already bought into DEN Networks having paid $110 million. Now it has acquired 4.8 per cent of Hathway Cable & Datacom, paying $8.5 million (Rupees 526 million) for the holding, which represents 8.1 million shares. Goldman Sachs already holds a 17.8 stake […]
Vodafone-Ono is putting pressure on the Spanish competition watchdog CNMC to stop Telefonica’s acquisition of the pay-TV operator Canal Plus from becoming a reality. Vodafone Spain’s director of legal and regulatory affairs, Pedro Peña, has said that CNMC should prohibit or at least subject the operation to stricter conditions to guarantee free competition in the […]