Advanced Television

Vodafone

AST wins Vodacom SA space connection contract

AST & Science has won a contract from Vodacom, the South African subsidiary of Vodafone, to supply connectivity to a space-based cellular broadband network capable of linking standard mobile phones. AST also announced that it would become a publicly-traded business in Q1 2021 and rename itself AST SpaceMobile. The company is in the process of […]

December 21, 2020By Chris Forrester

Portugal: Highest pay-TV growth since 2015

Portugal ended the third quarter of 2020 with 4.2 million pay-TV subscribers and accounting for a 91 per cent penetration rate for the service. According to the National Communications Authority, 167,000 new subscribers (+4.1 per cent) were added in the quarter on a year-on-year basis, which represents the highest annual growth in absolute terms since […]

December 11, 2020From Branislav Pekic in Rome

DOTSCREEN releases radio TV app for Vodafone Spain

DOTSCREEN, the multi-screen video applications & UI specialist, has announced the launch of its radio application on Vodafone’s set-top boxes in Spain. Branded “Vodafone Radio”, the application offers free and instant access to thousands of live radio stations worldwide. Vodafone TV viewers can browse within a large variety of radios and podcasts from around the […]

December 1, 2020

Germany: Vodafone becomes DAZN reseller

Sports fans in Germany can add DAZN to their Vodafone monthly TV bill as the telecommunications company becomes the first reseller of DAZN in the market. For a discounted price of €9.99 per month for a one-year contract, customers will get full access to DAZN via the app and receive two complimentary linear HD channels, […]

November 18, 2020

GIGAEurope calls for continued network investment

GIGAEurope, the industry association of private investors in gigabit connectivity, has celebrated its launch by bringing together policymakers MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri and Anthony Whelan, Digital Policy Adviser in the Cabinet of President von der Leyen, plus senior industry executives from Vodafone Group, Liberty Global, VodafoneZiggo and Telenet. The event highlighted how the coronavirus pandemic surged […]

November 18, 2020

Gamers cause record UK data traffic

Lockdown gamers have seen the UK’s internet providers experience record broadband usage as a result of new Xbox consoles hitting the market and a new title in the Call of Duty games franchise. BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Vodafone, City Fibre and Zen Internet said they had all coped with the huge spike in demand on […]

November 12, 2020

Study: HbbTV tops German platform reach

The open HbbTV standard, Amazon Fire TV and Samsung Tizen are the most common TV access methods in German living rooms, according to an updated study on platform reach from digital TV solutions specialist TeraVolt, compiled with the support of a twelve-member expert panel and market research institute Facit. In terms of actual usage, the […]

November 10, 2020

NASA concerned over new mega-constellation

AST & Science is planning a mega-constellation of satellites, called SpaceMobile, to provide 2G/3G/4G/5G connectivity anywhere on the planet, including aircraft broadband connectivity. Texas-based AST & Science (AST) has won investments from the likes of Vodafone and Japanese e-retailer Rakuten and bringing the amount raised to $128 million. Its first test-satellite will reportedly launch later […]

November 10, 2020

Spain: ‘Netflix tax’ set at 5%

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and HBO, among others, will pay a 5 per cent revenue tariff in Spain to finance European TV series and movies. The Spanish Administration is amending its TV laws with a new Ley General de Comunicación Audiovisual that will oblige global streamers to finance European productions at the same level as […]

November 9, 2020From David Del Valle in Madrid

MásMóvil goes private

The fourth largest telco operator in Spain, MásMóvil, is now controlled with a 99.32 per cent by Funds KKR, Cinven and Providence, through Lorca Bidco – and has been removed from the Stock Market after eight years of operation. Speculation is increasingly mounting about a possible merger with Vodafone to become the second largest telco […]

November 4, 2020From David Del Valle in Madrid