The week in telecom: Lumen, NTT turn to data centre market to revive growth, Hutchison exits UK
GLOBAL 11 MEI

The week in telecom: Lumen, NTT turn to data centre market to revive growth, Hutchison exits UK

Preparing telecom networks for the changing world of AI was a recurring theme last week, with global operators like Lumen and NTT working on a shift in their business to focus more on the networking needs of the future. Corning confirmed a big investment in optical capacity to support demanding clients like Nvidia, and the EU agreed to give everybody more time to prepare before its AI regulations kick in.

The week in telecoms: big tech faces costs of AI boom and Wi-Fi market consolidates
GLOBAL 3 MEI

The week in telecoms: big tech faces costs of AI boom and Wi-Fi market consolidates

Belden is getting into the enterprise Wi-Fi market, while Nokia is pulling back on CPE sales. Surprising strength in the smartphone market in Q1, with higher sales at market leaders Samsung and Apple, while the rise in memory prices is putting pressure on everyone's margins. The hyperscalers can afford it after a round of strong Q1 results from Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Google. 

Virgin Media O2: from coax to fibre and 80% coverage in 2028
UNITED KINGDOM 27 APR

Virgin Media O2: from coax to fibre and 80% coverage in 2028

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is undertaking a major upgrade and expansion of its network in the UK to fibre. Nexfibre, a joint venture set up with investor InfraVia, plays a big role in this. However, the company has moved from a strategy initially based on building its own fibre network to acquiring other networks instead. The latest deal is Netomnia, currently under review by regulators, and more consolidation is likely. VMO2 is strengthening its market position, although this is diluted somewhat by the sale of

The week in telecoms: sovereign hopes take hold in Europe and Apple confirms new CEO
GLOBAL 26 APR

The week in telecoms: sovereign hopes take hold in Europe and Apple confirms new CEO

This week an even bigger takeover, as Deutsche Telekom contemplates a full merger with T-Mobile US. At the same time Europeans are pushing ahead with "sovereign" ICT plans, with BT entering the fray and Lidl's IT arm taking centre stage. Google will not be left out and held its cloud conference last week, while Meta and Microsoft are cutting jobs to pay for their AI ambitions, and Apple has a new CEO. 

The week in telecoms: SFR takover moves ahead, Amazon bags Globalstar and Netgear in favour in US
GLOBAL 19 APR

The week in telecoms: SFR takover moves ahead, Amazon bags Globalstar and Netgear in favour in US

France's top operators appear to have sewn up a three-way takeover of struggling rival SFR, and Amazon has taken a big step in the satellite market with the acquisition of Globalstar. Netgear received an exemption to the US ban on foreign-produced routers, while Ericsson's Q1 results show the impact of the uncertainty over trade tariffs in the US and rising component costs. 

The week in telecoms: Samsung profits soar, Netflix targets kids and telcos build defence vertical
GLOBAL 12 APR

The week in telecoms: Samsung profits soar, Netflix targets kids and telcos build defence vertical

Samsung kicked off the Q1 reporting season with preliminary results showing a huge surge in profits on the demand for memory chips. Netflix is looking to lock-in subscribers early with a new kids app, and Telefonica has nearly completed its exit from Latin America. Korea is overhauling its telecom market to restore consumer trust after multiple data scandals, and telcos in Europe are entering the defence sector as an important new enterprise vertical. 

Ziggo Group creation at 2026 low point sets stage for growth ahead
BENELUX 9 APR

Ziggo Group creation at 2026 low point sets stage for growth ahead

The transformation of Dutch operator VodafoneZiggo continues with the planned creation of the Ziggo Group in the second half of this year. This will see the company combined with Telenet, the operator active in Belgium and Luxembourg. In 2027 the Ziggo Group will be spin off to shareholders of Liberty Global, as a kind of dividend, and get its own stock market listing. While there is significant uncertainty still, the plan may lead to improved results, a condition key to a successful spin-off. 

Netherlands TV-video market revenues up just 0.5% in Q4
NETHERLANDS 7 APR

Netherlands TV-video market revenues up just 0.5% in Q4

Revenue growth in the TV and video services market in the Netherlands slowed to 0.5 percent in the last quarter of 2025, due to a combination of weak pay-TV numbers and a maturing streaming segment. This is the lowest growth in many years, according to Telecompaper's research. Traditional TV (-1.5%), and especially the basic TV plans (-4.6%), did not perform well, and this was also evident at cable operator Ziggo (-4.4%). SVOD (+9.0%) continues to grow, with revenues supported by price increases and a stead

The week in telecoms: Free goes all-in on roaming, AT&T tries FMC innovation and Starlink gets bigger
GLOBAL 5 APR

The week in telecoms: Free goes all-in on roaming, AT&T tries FMC innovation and Starlink gets bigger

Mobile operators are fighting back against the rise of eSim roaming providers, with new offers from Free and Vodafone last week for cheap roaming outside the EU. Setbacks meanwhile for Telenor and Movistar in their consolidation strategies, with regulators ready to block key acquisitions. AT&T presented its new take on FMC pricing, and Meta is looking to expand the appeal of smart glasses with lenses and AI features. Starlink meanwhile is extending its lead on the emerging direct-to-cell satellite market.

The week in telecoms: Italy brings back PTT, US bans foreign routers and social media on trial
GLOBAL 29 MRT

The week in telecoms: Italy brings back PTT, US bans foreign routers and social media on trial

Europe is turning back to the PTT model with a takeover bid from Poste Italiane for Telecom Italia. The US meanwhile has put a ban on foreign-produced routers in the name of national security and seen the first court verdicts over the dangerous effects of social media. In the smartphone market, Apple is getting more interested in the enterprise market, Xiaomi is struggling to grow, and Arm has turned to making its own chips.

The week in telecoms: OFC and Nvidia events drive data centre networking talk, Orange debuts full French office stack
GLOBAL 23 MRT

The week in telecoms: OFC and Nvidia events drive data centre networking talk, Orange debuts full French office stack

The OFC and Nvidia's annual conference put the focus last week on the latest advances in data centre networking, with Comcast, Cisco and others also showing off new systems for AI edge and RAN integration. Orange Business also had its own product event with new offers in AI and sovereign services, and Bell and Telia are getting further into the data centre market, too. 

The week in telecoms: Pakistan ready for 5G, Google exits FTTH market and Canal Plus works on pay-TV turnaround
GLOBAL 16 MRT

The week in telecoms: Pakistan ready for 5G, Google exits FTTH market and Canal Plus works on pay-TV turnaround

The long-awaited 5G auction in Pakistan was completed last week, while wholesale 5G networks started by governments in Malaysia and Ghana were abandoned. Google also is getting out of the telecom business, with a sale of its FTTH business in the US. And the legacy pay-TV market struggles on, with annual results from Canal Plus and set-top box maker Aferian (Amino) going under. 

GLOBAL 6 MRT

The week in telecom: MWC brings 5G advances, AI and satellite integration, plus first robot phone

No shortage of news this past week thanks to the annual mobile industry meet-up in Barcelona. Mobile World Congress brought the usual advances in network technology (5G Advanced, pre-6G, Wi-Fi 8), smartphones (Apple, Xiaomi, Motorola, Vivo) and services (mobile-satellite integration, AI edge). While the traditional telecom players like Ericsson, Telefonica and NTT were clearly present, there was also a large contingent of industry newcomers looking to take a piece of the pie, including Amazon, Nvidia and St

GLOBAL 1 MRT

The week in telecoms: Paramount tops bidding for WBD, Samsung S26 kicks off MWC showcase

Netflix has called a stop to the bidding war for Warner Bros Discovery, but Paramount still has to secure approval from regulators and shareholders. Deutsche Telekom, E& and Telecom Italia are rewarding shareholders, while Telefonica and Proximus hold back on dividends. Samsung presented its new flagship range ahead of Mobile World Congress, and Apple is set to surprise this week with its own new devices.

GLOBAL 23 FEB

The week in telecoms: Liberty Global tackles cable vs fibre question, Orange promises dividends and MEA market goes wholesale

It was all about consolidation in Europe last week, with major takeovers in the UK and Netherlands and Orange laying out its new financial targets. India held a major AI summit with Google announcing plans to turn the country into a new global connectivity hub, while Ooredoo and MTN are working on similar plans for the MEA region.

GLOBAL 16 FEB

The week in telecoms: Cisco rides AI investment wave and European telcos invest in South America

Cisco set the tone last week with new AI networking products unveiled at its partner event in Amsterdam and a strong set of quarterly results. T-Mobile US held an analyst meeting outlining how it plans to address the new market challenges, and Telefonica completed another exit from South America, giving Millicom a new market in region.

GLOBAL 9 FEB

The week in telecoms: hyperscalers vie for capex crown, Telenor and Vodafone profit from smaller footprints

Balancing capital expenditure and shareholder returns is a critical issue for any public telecom operator, but the stakes have changed with the advent of the 'hyperscalers'. Last week Google and Amazon vied for who can spend the most this year, while telcos like NTT and Singtel work on taking their share of the cloud infrastructure business. African operator MTN is taking the notable move of buying back its towers, while Vodafone and Telenor lean back into their core markets to support higher dividends. 

GLOBAL 2 FEB

The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing

The first round of annual financial results shows the US may be set for a price war, with shifting strategies at Verizon and Comcast. Deutsche Telekom kicked off a new FTTH drive, and Canal Plus is hoping to capitalize on its recent African expansion. Apple had a knock-out quarter with stellar iPhone results, and Samsung profited from the boom in memory chips.

GLOBAL 26 JAN

The week in telecoms: Netflix and Ericsson all about cash, EU sketches out rip-and-replace and copper transition plans

The annual results season kicked off with positive figures from Ericsson and Netflix, and Netflix is putting up more cash to seal the deal for Warner Bros. The French operators are not backing down on plans to take out SFR, and the copper shutdown schedule is sparking debate after the EU presented its new telecoms regulation. 

GLOBAL 22 JAN

Netflix can spend more on content and still improve its margin

Netflix is working to make its takeover of Warner Bros happen and also announced Q4 results. The takeover price is high, but how does that compare to the company's own results? What's clear is Netflix is in many ways much bigger than its takeover target and has a very strong balance sheet. While it has forecast slower growth in 2026, that is not surprising. The operating margin continues to increase and is already better than linear TV. 

GLOBAL 19 JAN

The week in telecom: Apple holds on to smartphone crown, Ericsson slims down and CommScope changes name

Apple's crown as the world's biggest smartphone seller was confirmed for 2025, and the company made an important decision in its AI strategy last week. IPOs may be back in the telco sector this year with rumours of upcoming share sales by Jio and Odido, while consolidation continues in the network equipment market, led by Commscope, as a difficult outlook leads to job cuts at Ericsson. On the regulatory front, the EU continues to set to the tone, with more fines last week and new telco regulation coming up

BELGIUM 16 JAN

Belgian mobile market under pressure from Digi, broadband impact still to come

The Belgian broadband market reached 5.15 million lines in Q3 2025, an increase of 0.5 percent year-on-year. All the main providers added customers, but Telenet lost market share, while Orange showed a small gain. Proximus' share was little changed, and Digi is still a negligible presence, according to the latest edition of Telecompaper's Belgian Total Communications report.

NETHERLANDS 15 JAN

Fairphone still a small player but market share growing in Netherlands

Fairphone remains a small player in its home market the Netherlands but the company is slowing expanding its share of the smartphone market. Data collected quarterly by the Telecompaper Consumer Insights panel shows the Fairphone was used by just 0.1 percent of Dutch smartphone owners in 2022 but the share increased to a peak of 0.3 percent of the installed base in 2025, showing clear structural growth. That means around 45,000 to 50,000 people use a Fairphone in the Netherlands, Telecompaper estimates. 

GLOBAL 12 JAN

The week in telecoms: CES brings Wi-Fi 8 and more smart glasses, while Warner sticks with Netflix

CES last week brought news of more smart glasses and the first Wi-Fi 8 products, while Samsung's preliminary earnings report suggests the Korean company is profiting fully from the AI-driven demand for memory chips. Warner Bros meanwhile has decided to stick with Netflix and officially rejected Paramount's rival offer, while Italy takes a stance on Cloudflare's role in piracy and gets a new network sharing alliance.

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20 APR 10:36

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Background

11 MEI 00:53

The week in telecom: Lumen, NTT turn to data centre market to revive growth, Hutchison exits UK

3 MEI 23:05

The week in telecoms: big tech faces costs of AI boom and Wi-Fi market consolidates

27 APR 14:33

Virgin Media O2: from coax to fibre and 80% coverage in 2028

26 APR 23:04

The week in telecoms: sovereign hopes take hold in Europe and Apple confirms new CEO