News 

The Italian government are said to be focusing investment on critical national infrastructure 

The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Retelit, a subsidiary of the Spanish Asterion Infrastructure Fund, has made €700 offer for Sparkle, Telecom Italia’s subsea cable unit, the company has announced this week 

Negotiations are ongoing, and TIM is expected to carefully evaluate the offer in the context of its overall strategy. The involvement of MEF and Retelit in the bid indicates a potential national interest in securing Sparkle’s infrastructure, which plays a significant role in Italy’s connectivity to global markets. 

Further updates are anticipated as discussions progress. The offer is on the table until October 15, and will shortly be submitted to TIM’s board of directors. If accepted, the deal could significantly reduce TIM’s debt burden and provide the company with the financial flexibility to invest in its core operations and future growth. 

In a press release Telecom Italia (TIM) said the proposal “will be submitted for examination by TIM’s Board of Directors upon completion of preliminary activities preparatory to the evaluation of the offer.” 

The bid from Italy’s Treasury and Asterion reflects a growing interest in critical infrastructure assets. The Italian government has been keen on maintaining control over strategic assets, and this bid aligns with its broader strategy of safeguarding national interests.  

It also comes as part of TIM’s ongoing efforts to reduce its debt and streamline its business by selling off non-core assets. TIM has been considering the sale of Sparkle for some time, as part of its broader plan to raise capital and improve its financial position, with debt standing at around €21 billion in the second quarter of 2024. 

Earlier this year TIM finalised the sale of its domestic fixed line network (NetCo) to US fund KKR after a lengthy back and forth process. The Italian government gave the greenlight for the sale, worth €22 billion, following an agreement with KKR that will see the government take a stake of up to 20% in the business once the transaction is complete. 

“The completion of the transaction with KKR and the Italian Ministry of Finance is the result of two and a half years of intense work, during which we have improved the management of TIM and identified industrial and financial solutions that will enable us to meet future challenges,” said TIM chief executive Pietro Labriola, in a statement. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
Vodafone and Three defend merger amid CMA warnings
Verizon offloads mobile towers to Vertical Bridge for $3.3bn
Korea Telecom and Microsoft sign multibillion-dollar AI partnership

Presse-Information 

München, Deutschland – Connected Germany, Deutschlands Veranstaltung für die digitale Wirtschaft, kehrt zu ihrer bisher größten Ausgabe nach München zurück.  

Auf der zweitägigen Veranstaltung, welche vom Medien- und Veranstaltungsspezialisten Total Telecom ausgerichtet wird, werden 150 Sprecher die wichtigsten Themen für den Aufbau von Netzwerken der nächsten Generation in Deutschland diskutieren. Die Veranstaltung ist in fünf Hauptthemen aufgeteilt und behandelt Themen wie die Investitionslandschaft des Landes, die Bereitstellung von Glasfaser und 5G sowie das regulatorische Umfeld. 

Mit über 1.800 Teilnehmern bietet die Connected Germany ein Forum, in dem führende Experten, Entscheidungsträger, Ausrüstungslieferanten, Investoren, Unternehmen und weitere Personen Gedanken austauschen, neue Perspektiven entdecken und wertvolle Partnerschaften eingehen können. 

Die diesjährige Veranstaltung bietet eine beeindruckende Auswahl an wichtigen Sprechern, darunter:  

– Wolfgang Metze, Geschäftsführer Consumer Business, Telekom Deutschland 

– Valentina Daiber, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer, Telefonica 

– Marc Sauter, Leiter des IoT-Produktmanagements, Vodafone 

– Frederic Ufer, Geschäftsführer, VATM 

– Jan Simons, Leiter Kommunal- und Regionalpolitik, BREKO 

„Wir freuen uns, für Connected Germany 2024 nach München zurückzukehren“, sagt Rowan Thompson, Senior Producer der Veranstaltung.  

„Die Veranstaltung wird unsere bisher wirkungsvollste sein und die klügsten Köpfe aus den Bereichen Telekommunikation und digitale Innovation zusammenbringen. Da Deutschland seine digitale Infrastruktur weiter ausbaut, wird die Veranstaltung eine wichtige Plattform für Branchenführer sein, um zusammenzuarbeiten, Ideen auszutauschen und die Zukunft der Konnektivität im ganzen Land zu gestalten“, so Thompson weiter. 

Weitere Informationen und die Möglichkeit zur Anmeldung für die Connected Germany 2024 finden Sie unter: https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/connected-germany/index.stm  

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Über Total Telecom 

Seit 1997 stellt Total Telecom die Verbindung zwischen den Käufern und Verkäufern auf dem globalen Telekommunikationsmarkt her. Wir tun dies durch qualitativ hochwertige redaktionelle Inhalte und Veranstaltungen, um Diskussionen über Branchenthemen zu fördern und Innovationen und herausragende Leistungen von Unternehmen und Einzelpersonen zu würdigen.   

Unsere Gemeinschaft von mehr als 120.000 Telekommunikationsfachleuten verlässt sich auf Total Telecom, wenn es um tägliche Nachrichten und regelmäßige ausführliche Einblicke geht, die über eine Reihe von Kanälen wie Online, Video, soziale Medien und unsere Veranstaltungsreihe bereitgestellt werden.  

Zu unserem preisgekrönten Veranstaltungsportfolio gehören der Broadband Communities Summit, die World Communication Awards, Connected North, Connected Germany und die größte britische Konnektivitätsveranstaltung Connected Britain.   

Brsk, one of the fastest-growing networks in the UK, has announced that work is underway to bring full fibre broadband to the Salford borough of Greater Manchester. Areas to be connected include Blackfriars in the city centre, Seedley, Pendlebury, and Irlams o’ th’ Height.

This investment will offer 25,000 homes and businesses in the area access to the fastest and most reliable type of broadband available in the UK, providing symmetrical upload and download speeds via a brand-new network.

Speaking of the rollout to bring better broadband to the borough, brsk Greater Manchester Regional Head, Gareth Cornelius, said, “Having already brought our world-class full fibre network to Trafford, Stockport, Rochdale, Wigan, Tameside and Manchester, it is fantastic to be coming to Salford and reaching even more people in Greater Manchester with the service they need to be able to go about their daily lives. We are committed to delivering exceptional connectivity and ensuring that communities have access to the fast, reliable internet they deserve.” 

At a time when regulators are cracking down on providers to ensure advertising clarity between copper, part-fibre and full fibre services, residents can rest assured that brsk provides 100% full fibre broadband and nothing less. The provider takes pride in its infrastructure and recently won the ‘Full Fibre Innovation Award’ at Connected Britain 2024. 

Affordable high-speed internet is in high demand across the country to facilitate remote working, learning, gaming and streaming, as more and more of our lives are lived online. Brsk offers competitive pricing across all of their packages, with add-on options to boost connectivity. These include a TV service, mesh Wi-Fi, static IP addresses and VoIP phone services. 

All brsk packages include a guarantee of no mid-contract prices, providing peace of mind that customers can trust their supplier to provide exactly what they pay for, with no nasty surprises. With over 12,000 Trustpilot reviews and an ‘Excellent’ rating  4.7/5, brsk is thrilled to be able to offer home and business owners in the Salford area an award-winning option for their broadband.

The expansion compliments brsk’s mission to make Greater Manchester, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK, one of the best digitally connected urban counties. Currently, more than 250,000 homes and businesses in Greater Manchester can access better broadband on brsk’s network, which extends from Rochdale to Stockport, and Ashton in Makerfield to Ashton Under-Lyne.

Press Release 

Munich, Germany – Connected Germany, the country’s Dedicated Digital Economy Event is returning to Munich for its largest ever edition 

Hosted by telecoms media and events specialist Total Telecom, the two-day event will feature 150 speakers debating and discussing the topics most important to building next-generation networks across Germany. Split across five key themes, the event will cover topics such as the country’s investment landscape, fibre & 5G delivery, and the regulatory environment. 

With over 1,800 attendees, Connected Germany will provide a forum where leading experts, decision makers, equipment suppliers, investors, companies, and others can exchange thoughts, discover new perspectives, and form invaluable partnerships.  

This year’s event boasts an impressive lineup of key speakers, including:  

– Wolfgang Metze, Managing Director of Consumer Business, Telekom Deutschland 

– Valentina Daiber, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer, Telefonica 

– Marc Sauter, Head of IoT Product Management, Vodafone 

– Frederic Ufer, Managing Director, VATM 

– Jan Simons, Head of Local & Regional Politics, BREKO 

“We’re delighted to be returning to Munich for Connected Germany 2024,” said the event’s senior producer, Rowan Thompson.  

“The event is set to be our most impactful yet, bringing together the brightest minds in telecom and digital innovation. As Germany continues to evolve its digital infrastructure, the event will provide a crucial platform for industry leaders to collaborate, exchange ideas, and shape the future of connectivity across the country,” he continued. 

For more information or to register to attend Connected Germany 2024, visit: https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/connected-germany/index.stm   

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About Total Telecom
Since 1997, Total Telecom has provided the connection between the buyers and sellers in the global telecom market. We do this through high quality editorial content and events to facilitate discussion on industry issues, and recognise innovation and excellence by companies and individuals.   

Our community of 120,000+ telecom professionals rely on Total Telecom for daily news and regular in-depth insight, delivered through a number of channels including online, video, social media, and at our series of events.  

Our award-winning event portfolio includes, Broadband Communities Summit, the World Communication Awards, Connected North, Connected Germany, and the UK’s largest connectivity event Connected Britain.   

News 

The deal will support the extraction and recycling of copper cable from BT’s network until 2028 

BT has secured £105 million from the sale of its surplus copper cables, according to a Guardian article published today. 

The deal with global recycler EMR (European Metal Recycling) involves selling copper granules from the 3,300 tonnes of copper cables that BT has already removed in its journey to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure to full fibre. 

BT’s ongoing fibre rollout aims to reach 25 million homes by 2026, with potential to recover up to 200,000 tonnes of copper over the next decade. 

According to the Guardian article, it is currently too early to estimate the full financial value of BT’s copper, although it is considered a significant revenue stream for BT. Back in May, Openreach explained to Bloomberg that “recovering the copper cables generates a net income, even after the costs of extracting the cables and processing them.” 

“As we look to recover and reuse scarce resources like copper in line with our commitment to sustainability, we estimate that as we replace old copper networks with fibre, we’ll be able to recover up to 200,000 tonnes of copper through the 2030s – in line with customer migrations,” said Openreach. 

Earlier this year, a report from engineering firm TXO said that telecoms companies around the world could expect to recover up to 800,000 tons of copper by 2035, worth up to $7 billion at today’s prices. Post-pandemic, the price of copper has risen by nearly 50%, and this is set to grow even more by 2040. While becoming obsolete in the telecoms industry, the metal is widely used in other industries, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
Vodafone and Three defend merger amid CMA warnings
Verizon offloads mobile towers to Vertical Bridge for $3.3bn
Korea Telecom and Microsoft sign multibillion-dollar AI partnership

Interview

As the telecoms industry gradually moves towards tackling Scope 3 emissions and the wider challenge of sustainability, Unipart Logistics’ Steve Carter discusses making the supply chain more circular at Connected Britain 2024

You can view our full interview below!

Also in the news:
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Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe

Techwave announces strategic partnership with IQGEO
~ Partnership aims to accelerate fiber network design and deployment, enhancing operational efficiency for the telecom and utility sectors~

26^th September ‘24, UK: Techwave, a global leader in IT and engineering services, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with IQGeo, a provider of innovative geospatial software solutions. This collaboration aims to elevate both companies’ ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions to the telecom and utility sectors, driving advancements in network planning, deployment, and optimization.

As a Certified Design Partner, Techwave now has access to IQGeo’s Professional edition of the Network Manager Telecom software, along with a fiber dataset for training, testing, and demonstrations. This partnership will enable Techwave to design and plan fiber networks with greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness, bringing substantial value to its clients. The partnership promises to reduce fiber planning and design time by up to 90%, allowing for faster project completion and quicker network deployments. By replacing manual processes with digital workflows, Techwave will significantly reduce man-hours while optimizing productivity. The software also facilitates seamless collaboration between office and field teams, eliminating file transfers and manual updates, further accelerating the design process and improving payment schedules for contractors.

In addition, the partnership offers access to IQGeo’s global support services, ensuring swift technical issue resolution and minimizing downtime. This strategic collaboration strengthens Techwave’s ability to deliver high-performance solutions and promotes better cooperation with clients, ensuring unified efforts in expanding fiber networks and optimizing operations across the telecom and utility sectors.

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Chris White, Vice President – Global Competency, Techwave said, “We are excited to establish a new partnership with IQGeo that will mark a significant milestone as we continue to strengthen our capabilities to deliver engineering services to our clients across the globe. We believe this partnership will provide significant value as our respective companies share a common objective to drive growth in the telecom, fiber and utility industries. IQGeo’s proven platform capabilities and global reach are closely aligned to meet our strategic objectives and provide our delivery teams with the necessary solutions to design, deploy, and maintain world class networks.”

Adding to it, Mr. Jonathan Rosen – Associate Vice President, North America Engineering said “We are excited to start a new partnership with IQGeo. From rapid design to inspections and outage restoration, this partnership will help us in our objective to transform network data into efficient digital workflows for our clients. IQGeo’ s proven platform capabilities and global reach are closely aligned to meet our strategic objectives and provide our delivery teams with the ability to engineer world class infrastructure networks resulting in improved process optimization, predictable rollouts, increased workforce efficiencies, and maximizing of network revenue.”

“Our fiber design partner program has been tremendously popular with the fiber industry.” comments Jay Cadman, Senior Vice President at IQGeo, “As IQGeo’s market share continues to grow, we are keen to build a team of skilled fiber industry professionals to help support the demand for fiber network planning and design. Fiber operators can rest assured that all IQGeo partners have full access to our latest software and have been certified in the use of our products to provide the best possible design and support services. I’m excited to welcome these new eight companies to our partner network and look forward to expanding our ecosystem in the future.”

News 

The move, which could raise up to $1 billion, aims to take advantage of the global demand for data infrastructure 

Japan’s NTT Group is reportedly considering launching a billion-dollar Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Singapore that would hold up to $3 billion-worth of data center assets, according to a Bloomberg article. 

The article states that the company is working with financial advisors to finalise the assets that will be included in this high-profile listing.  

According to reports, the listing could happen in late 2025 and would be expected to raise around $1 billion. 

If successful, listing would be the largest in Singapore since 2017, potentially revitalising the city-state’s sluggish IPO market 

NTT’s move would align with its broader strategy to optimise its assets while addressing the increasing global demand for data infrastructure.  

The company’s decision comes amidst rising global investments in data centers, driven by the need for expansive digital infrastructure to manage growing demand for storage and computing capacity. If successful, NTT’s REIT could set a precedent, encouraging other large firms to explore similar offerings in the region. 

When contracted by Bloomberg, a representative confirmed that “the company is considering a REIT,” but did not elaborate further.  

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe

News

The airline says its planes will be upgraded gradually to support the satellite connectivity

This week, Air France has become the latest airline to strike partnership with SpaceX’s low Earth orbit satellite subsidiary Starlink for in-flight WiFi.

The deal will see Air France’s fleet of aeroplanes gradually fitted with Starlink technology, allowing them to provide customers with a “ground-like” WiFi experience, with customers able to connect numerous devices at once.

The exact connectivity speeds expected to be available were not revealed, but Starlink has previously said that it’s constellation could provide in-flight WiFi speeds of 40–120Mbps.

Starlink equipment will begin being installed on the aircraft from 2025.

Once completed, the resulting WiFi service will be free to access for customers on Air France’s ‘Flying Blue’ loyalty programme (which is itself free to join).

In-flight Wi-Fi has long been a key use case for communications satellites. Starlink itself already has similar deals in place with numerous other airlines, including United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JSX, Qatar Airways, and Air New Zealand.

The largest of these, United Airlines, says it plans to have Starlink installed on over 1,000 planes next year.

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter 

Also in the news:
Verizon Business signs 5G deal with teledriving company Vay
Investors waiting for the UK’s ‘fragile’ altnet ecosystem to consolidate, says Nexfibre CEO
Dell launches AI For Telecom programme

Interview

In a tough economic environment like the UK, going over budget when building a network is not an option

At Connected Britain, the Total Telecom team spoke to Vitruvi Software’s As-built Consultant Felix Wright to discuss how the company is streamlining network deployments and why leveraging new technologies like AI and digital twins could hold the key to delivering networks on time and on-budget.

Check out the full interview here!

Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe