Vivacom received the green light to acquire seven broadband and TV providers, despite backlash and furore from rivals who harbour concerns about competition. 

The companies were NetWorx Group – comprising Networks-Bulgaria, Online Direct, TVN Distribution Bulgaria and Telko Infrastructures – and Veliko Turnovo-based TELNET Group, which comprises TELNET, TELNET Securities and STV. 

TeleGeography reported, the deal makes Vivacom the largest broadband and TV provider in Bulgaria, and did not deter the country’s Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) from approving the deals.

In December 2022, the Supreme Administrative Court annulled the anti-monopoly regulator’s previous approval of Vivacom’s acquisition of NetWorx Bulgaria. The Communications Regulation Commission launched an investigation into several deals where Viacom gained control over its rivals NetWorx, TVN Distribution Bulgaria, Telko Infrastructures and indirect control over Online Direct.

Large-scale rivals A1 and Yettel protested the latest acquisitions blasting the CPC for a “blatant disregard for recent European rulings” and this will lead to “a huge concentration of market share and power in the hands of Vivacom and its owner United Group”.

Yettel parent company PPF Telecom said in a statement: “CPC decision-making has raised our concerns about its forthcoming review of the proposed acquisition of Bulsatcom’s infrastructure by Slovenia Broadband, which is 100% owned by United Group. If this proposed acquisition is approved, it would lead to a total concentration of the whole national market and infrastructure power far exceeding the normal thresholds acknowledged in all other EU markets.”

It concluded by calling on regulators to review the transactions and threatened to escalate its case to the European Commission.

In a statement sent to Developing Telecoms, Vivacom said it « firmly rejects » A1 and Yettel’s accusations, and outlined how it apparently holds 31% of the fixed broadband market and 33% of the pay-TV market in Bulgaria (based on the number of subscribers). Meanwhile, A1 holds 28% and other local players have 35%, Vivacom claimed. 

« The coordinated statements from A1 and Yettel are misleading and inconsistent with the CPC’s findings. Their joint attempt to include Bulsatcom as part of Vivacom’s market share is wholly inaccurate and shows evidence of collusion, » said Vivacom. 

Viewpoint Article

A crucial economic hub south of the Yangtze River Delta, Ningbo is successfully transitioning from an industrial hub to an intelligent and smart manufacturing center

Ningbo is a thriving economic hub with 83 manufacturing championships and 283 Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative (SRDI) enterprises. As many as 20 advanced 5G capabilities were first put into commercial use at Ningbo. The city created history when China’s first 5G fully conected factory corps was set up in Ningbo earlier this year. This was the culmination of several steps being taken by the city over the last few years to take leadership in providing the manufacturers with the best possible 5G-enabled digital infrastructure.

“China Mobile Ningbo has two key aspects of digital intelligence. First, by connecting information highway pipelines and, secondly, by boosting data-reality synergy. It focuses on six aspects, including preparing the subgrade, paving roads, widening lanes, building a hub, installing fast chargers and providing services to ensure stable and efficient information transmission. This approach helps in stimulating the industry, which in turn helps in boosting the digitalization of the industry,” says Wang Ying, General Manager of the Government and Enterprise Customer Department, China Mobile Ningbo.

Taking the leadership position

China Mobile Ningbo is now scaling up the 5G industrial internet to connect information highway pipelines and boost digital intelligent synergy. The city is fast moving from the trial stage to the large-scale implementation of 5G. It has already deployed 625 5G private networks and has put 20 advanced 5G capabilities into commercial use.

China Mobile Ningbo is constructing a high-performance all-optical network to provide a simplified, trustworthy and autonomous network to businesses and manufacturers. It is also building a superior Gigabit 5G network that provides wide coverage and ensures best-in-class network performance and user experience. China Mobile Ningbo’s efforts were acknowledged and it was awarded excellent carriers in four scenarios across the country.

Building 5G-based digital infrastructure for businesses of all sizes

China Mobile Ningbo has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure that different types of enterprises are able to leverage the vast potential of 5G to grow their business. For instance, more than 20 manufacturers have opted for on-premise private networks, which ensures data remains on-premise while providing uninterrupted services to grow production and operational efficiency.

On the other hand, more than 500 small and medium enterprises favour lightweight private networks, which are affordable and plug-and-play networks. Power grid areas require dedicated resources and security isolation, which is possible with slide-based private networks.

China Mobile Ningbo has created digital infrastructure to help Ningbo emerge as a global information hub and deliver dual-domain services across the intranet and extranet. International infrastructure enables easy on-demand access in both domestic and international environments. There are 225 Points of Presence (POPs) outside China, covering 87 countries and regions. It also offers secure, reliable dual-domain private network support to more than 30,000 customers for easy switchover between the intranet and extranet.

China Mobile Ningbo has built a comprehensive system from pre-sales, in-sales to post-sales to provide the required support across all stages to drive the growth of 5G adoption in the city. The telco has built a flexible, scalable and secure system for the enterprises to benefit from the growing 5G ecosystem.

“We are providing customizable networking solutions to ensure flexibility. China Mobile Ningbo is also committed to providing open network data services and intrinsic security protection systems. In addition, cloud-based deployment means that the services are provided on the nearest nodes, so as network adjustment upon service changes and coordinated computing-network upgrade.” elaborates Wang Ying of China Mobile, Ningbo.

Several enterprises are leveraging the benefits of 5G in Ningbo. Take the case of Ningbo Port Wharf and Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Company, which are using 5G-enabled use cases across production, management and decision-making to gain operational efficiencies. From quality control, logistics, security management, predictive analysis, HR management, intelligent supply chain, intelligent knowledge management, and finance management to maintenance, 5G-based processes are helping the company improve efficiency across the organization. On the other hand, IKD boasts of as many as 15 5G application scenarios to enhance cost reduction and improve efficiency leading to the overall growth of the company.

Over the last three-to-four years, China Mobile Ningbo has formed partnerships to develop the 5G ecosystem in Ningbo for the overall growth and development of the industry. These partnerships have helped it to build a vibrant and thriving digital infrastructure to provide best-in-class 5G applications and services to enterprises and manufacturers in Ningbo.

China Mobile Ningbo has successfully created a 5G-powered digital infrastructure that fosters innovation and business growth. The success of China Mobile Ningbo effectively demonstrates that 5G technology is having a transformative impact on growing the production and efficiency of enterprises. The onus is then on the telcos to use 5G technology to provide best-in-class infrastructure to the enterprises for the overall economic growth of the country.

In future, China Mobile Ningbo endeavours to work closely with different industry verticals to understand their challenges and then introduce relevant 5G-powered solutions to help them address the pain points and grow.

The service providers in other regions can learn from the success of China Mobile Ningbo and use the 5G technology to empower businesses to improve production and efficiency while enhancing their contribution to the economic growth of their country.

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Andy Burrell, Head of Portfolio Marketing, Nokia

The climate crisis is putting pressure on all industries to become more sustainable, with cutting carbon emissions now a top priority for the C-suite. With energy prices remaining worryingly high, slashing the energy used by telecom networks is also good for the bottom line. And AI-based software can help not just communications service providers (CSPs) but also enterprises with … [visit site to read more]

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News

Around a third of the site’s 2,900 staff will see their jobs cut or be relocated

Today, BT has reportedly informed staff at its Adastral Park site in Ipswich that it intends to reduce the site’s workforce by roughly 1,100 over the next two years.

The site, which spans over 100 acres and includes BT Labs, currently employs around 2,900 people in various roles, from research and development to core network operations.

Some members of staff will face redundancy, with the operator offering staff the chance chance to relocate to other BT locations in the UK “wherever possible”.

Back in May, BT announced that it will aim to cut roughly 55,000 jobs – around 40% of its current workforce – by the end of the decade, citing the need for more streamlined operations and digitalisation in today’s tough economic climate. The company has been trying to generate significant cost-savings for years, last year increasing its target to £3 billion in cost-reductions by 2025, of which job cuts will play a key role.

However, today’s announcements surrounding staffing at Adastral Park are seemingly not part of these wider cost-saving measures, but are rather taking place as a result of the company’s Better Workplace Programme, which aims to consolidate staff in fewer and more modern buildings.

“We’re consolidating into a smaller number of buildings around the UK that provide cutting edge technology and great working environments for our people,” explained BT in a statement. “As part of these activities, we’re proposing to reduce the size of our presence at Adastral Park and move some roles to other BT Group locations over the next two years.”

Nonetheless, the operator says it remains “committed to Adastral Park for the long-term” and will continue to invest in the site in future, nothing that the location requires “significant investment to modernise”.

The operator said that it currently has no plans to sell the land or any of the roughly 100 buildings it owns at Adastral Park, but it will be consolidating staff into a smaller number of offices and other spaces on-site.

What do the latest job cuts mean the UK telecoms sector? Join the operators in discussion at the UK’s largest digital economy event Connected Britain

Also in the news:
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Leveraging 5G to develop new value and unlock digital dividends
SKT invests $100m in flying taxi company Joby Aviation

Fibre broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions says it has rolled out 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) fibre connectivity at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 4 (NAIA T4) in Manila as part of its Free Wi-Fi project for the benefit of the country’s international and local gateways.

Through the Converge Free Public Wi-Fi, travellers can surf the internet for 120 minutes at speeds of up to 1 Gbps. Converge aims to roll out this project in all the terminals of nine Philippines airports.

Converge formalized the project through a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and airport operator the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and Davao International Airport Authority (DIAA) last year. NAIA Terminal 4 is the first terminal to be launched in the project under the MOA.

According to the MIAA, some 1.7 million international passengers travelled through NAIA in April of 2023, with 9,089 flight movements.

“Local and international travellers can maximize our fibre-fast connection especially in digitally supported processes in checking in and boarding, or even just surfing while waiting for departure or upon their arrival,” says Converge CEO and Co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy.

In 2020, Converge embarked on a nationwide expansion plan to ensure that its fibre broadband service would be available to all unserved and underserved areas nationwide. Today, Converge says it has the country’s broadest FTTH network, with over 646,000 kilometres of fibre assets, and 15.9 million households covered. Converge serves nearly 2 million residential customers and 40,000 business customers.

“Now that our infrastructure is in place, Converge is ready and able to serve more facilities such as our airports, schools, and government offices all over the country,” says Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus C Romero.

News

Swedish telecommunications company Tele2 has been fined SEK 12 million (€1.01m) by the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) for breaching GDPR regulations with its use of Google Analytics

Following 101 complaints from non-profit organisation None of Your Business (NOYB) of unlawful data transfers from the EU to the US, the IMY found that Tele2 and three other Swedish companies (CDON, Coop and Dagens Industri) had unlawfully transferred data between the EU and USA.

The illegal data transfers reportedly took place as a result of the company’s use of Google Analytics following a ruling by the European Courts of Justice (CJEU) in August 2020 that prohibited the transfer of personal data to the US.

The European data security code GDPR stipulates that the transfer of personal data to third party countries – those outside of the EU/EEA – may only take place if the European Commission decides that they have an “adequate level of protection for personal data”. In the Schrens II ruling in 2020, the CJEU deemed that the US does not meet these criteria, and therefore the actions of Tele2 were unlawful.

In its investigation, IMY noted that the data shared to the US through Google Analytics is considered personal because the data can be linked with other unique data that is transferred.

Audits by the IMY also showed that additional security measures taken by Tele2 to mitigate this security risk when transferring data to the US were insufficient by EU standards. The security measures used by Tele2 and CDON were not as extensive as those implemented by Coop and Dagens Industri, hence the former companies were fined while the latter companies were not.

Tele2 has recently halted its use of Google Analytics independently, and the other three companies have been ordered to stop by IMY.

Keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
Ericsson to consolidate Estonian operations with new €155m tech hub
Nokia and Tele2 team up for private 5G in Sweden
EU fines Meta €1.2bn over transfer of data to US

News

The company will target the roughly 20% of Indian mobile subscribers still using 2G feature phones

This week, Reliance Industries, parent company of Indian mobile operator Reliance Jio, has announced the launch of a 4G-enabled phone costing just Rs 999 ($12).

The new 4G phone, named Jio Bharat, runs on Reliance Jio’s proprietary operating system and comes with a suite of home-grown applications, including the video streaming app JioCinema, music app JioSaavn, and mobile finance app JioPay.

Jio says Jio Bharat is the cheapest 4G-enabled phone in the country, a fact which they hope will entice some of the roughly 250 million Indian customers currently only capable of using 2G connectivity to make the purchase.

“There are still 250mn mobile phone users in India who remain ‘trapped’ in the 2G era, unable to tap into basic features of the internet at a time when the world stands at the cusp of a 5G revolution,” said Reliance Jio chair Mukesh Ambani.

“Six years ago, when Jio was launched, we made it clear that Jio will leave no stone unturned to democratize internet and pass the benefits of technology to every Indian. Technology will no longer remain a privilege for a select few,” he added.

Jio’s initial beta trial is the sale of one million devices – no small feat, but still only a tiny dent in market that contains nearly 1.5 billion people. Nonetheless, if successful, the move could further consolidate Jio’s position as the frontrunner of the Indian mobile market and pile pressure onto its rivals, particularly the struggling Vodafone Idea (Vi).

Some analysts suggest that the introduction of the new phone model with its accompanying cheap data plans could represent a significant threat the competitiveness of Jio’s rival Bharti Airtel, which has been vying for the country’s top spot for over a year now.

“We believe with this phone Jio can take market share at the lower end of the market. This also puts Bharti at risk as it can see increased churn from its recent 2G price action of increasing the Rs 99 plan to Rs 155 plan,” said JP Morgan in a note. “We believe this is negative for Bharti as any hopes of a tariff hike should be diluted over the next 12–18 months.”

Others, however, say Airtel could be less concerned. Brokerage firm BNP Paribas argues that the customers Jio is targeting with this new phone already had a chance to jump to Jio’s now discontinued smartphone, Jio Phone, in previous years and refused to do so. Airtel argues that Jio Phone had numerous additional features and advantages compared Jio Bharat, and could even be attained for a cheaper price, but this was not enough to lure customers away.

The exact impact of Jio Bharat’s launch remains to be seen but, given Jio’s intense track record when it comes to aggressive marketing strategies, this latest entrance into the mobile phone market has every reason to turn heads.

Will the launch of Jio Bharat help Jio to extend its subscriber lead over its rivals? Join the operators in discussion around market disruption at this year’s Total Telecom Congress

Also in the news:
SK Telecom overhauls AI service ‘A.’ using ChatGPT
Leveraging 5G to develop new value and unlock digital dividends
SKT invests $100m in flying taxi company Joby Aviation