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

Netflix can spend more on content and still improve its margin
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. 

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

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

Fairphone still a small player but market share growing in Netherlands
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. 

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

The week in telecom: Finnish security check, M&A completions and telco job cuts
GLOBAL 5 JAN

The week in telecom: Finnish security check, M&A completions and telco job cuts

Two weeks in one in this week's edition as we round up the top stories from over the holidays. Finland does not always reach the headlines, but they feature twice here, with the first rules in Europe against high-risk vendors for 5G base stations plus another suspected sabotage of an undersea telecom cable. The change in year is also a good accounting moment for significant deals, and Fastweb, Telenor and Wow took advantage to complete M&A. While there was no significant progress in the Warner takeover batt

Netherlands TV-video market grows 2.6% in Q3 to EUR 759 mln
NETHERLANDS 23 DEC 2025

Netherlands TV-video market grows 2.6% in Q3 to EUR 759 mln

The subscription TV and online video market in the Netherlands grew 2.6 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, to sales of EUR 759 million, according to the latest research by Telecompaper. Growth has slowed somewhat due to fewer newcomers, with the Viaplay TV+ channels the most recent arrival. That launch helped grow income from premium channels, while basic TV shows a structural decline. In the streaming market, the strongest growth is coming from Prime Video, SkyShowtime, YouTube Premium and HBO Max,

The week in telecoms: YouTube, Instagram take on TV market and WBD rejects Paramount
GLOBAL 22 DEC 2025

The week in telecoms: YouTube, Instagram take on TV market and WBD rejects Paramount

There are always new competitors on the horizon in the telecom sector, and the past week was no different. Instagram is coming to TVs, YouTube wants more of the pay-TV market, and Revolut launched on the mobile market. Warner also confirmed it's going with Netflix as merger partner not Paramount, and several telcos are changing their board line-ups for the new year. 

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation
GLOBAL 15 DEC 2025

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

With the broadband market reaching saturation in most developed countries, telcos are on the lookout for new ways to win over (and hold on to) customers. AT&T and EE are the latest to launch new Wi-Fi guarantees, while other like TIM are hoping FWA will encourage people to double up their connections. In the video market, Harmonic announced its exit, while Paramount confirmed a rival bid for Netflix, and Omdia is predicting YouTube will overtake them all. 

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold
GLOBAL 8 DEC 2025

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

The week ended with a bang, with Netflix agreeing the takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. Meanwhile the year-end is approaching quickly, prompting some tough budget and planning decisions. Apple is preparing a new generation of leaders with several management changes in the past week, Meta is rethinking its metaverse vision, and Intel has dropped the idea of exiting the telecom network business. Samsung has managed to get its first trifold smartphone on shelves before year-end, and Australia makes headlines

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash
BELGIUM 20 NOV 2025

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

On the Belgian market, Proximus is performing better than Telenet, in part thanks to its advance on fibre roll-out. Growth is high in mobile but ARPUs are falling at both operators. The impact from newcomer Digi is still limited. Telenet is ramping up its fibre expansion, with a high capex-to-sales ratio and cash burn as a result, but its cash position remains sufficient. The Belgian market is focused on coordinating the next phase of the fibre build, with the regulator evaluating the proposed regional alli

BELGIUM 18 NOV 2025

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins

Proximus Domestic reported flat revenues in the third quarter, at EUR 1.19 billion. That includes its Luxembourg unit Tango but excludes Proximus Global. The Belgian operator added 42,000 postpaid and 12,000 broadband customers in the quarter. Its outlook is for an increase in the EBITDA margin, but this remains on the low side for the sector, and Proximus's free cash flow, at 14 percent of revenues, is also not so impressive. We look forward to new insights at its Capital Markets Day planned for February.

GLOBAL 17 NOV 2025

The week in telecom: Mixed fortunes at German telcos and Cisco enjoys networking boom

Mixed fortunes in Germany as the latest quarterly results show 1&1 has finally become a MNO, Telefonica has a new CEO, and Vodafone and DT still working on positive growth. Cisco has no problems with growth with a forecast for record sales ahead, while Verizon's new CEO is apparently getting ready for a major restructuring. SK Telecom is taking a step back from its AI ambitions to refocus on mobile, and Telenor confirmed its future is Nordic.

NETHERLANDS 12 NOV 2025

Virtual operators profit as ODF, Delta revive competition on Dutch wholesale broadband market

Dutch incumbent KPN's share of the wholesale broadband market is falling, thanks to the expansion of Open Dutch Fiber and Delta Fiber. Virtual operators can profit, shopping around for the best network deals and improving their margins.

GLOBAL 10 NOV 2025

The week in telecom: Telefonica, KPN prep for future, KT loses CEO and Vodafone/AST challenge Starlink

Strategy updates last week from KPN and Telefonica show the tricky balance between investment and shareholder returns faced by telcos in the face of rising interest rates. After SK Telecom, rival KT is also changing CEO following a hacking scandal, while Altice is trying a new name in the US following its debt troubles. Starlink is buying more spectrum from Echostar, but rival AST SpaceMobile is hoping for an edge in Europe with partner Vodafone.

NETHERLANDS 7 NOV 2025

KPN slows down fibre roll-out to hold on to capex, dividend targets

KPN's strategy update was marked by its decision to reduce the investment budget. As promised earlier by the Dutch operator, spending will fall from 2027 to less than EUR 1 billion per year from EUR 1.5 billion now. Missing targets is "not done" at listed companies, nor are dividend cuts welcome. KPN said already two years ago when it launched the 'Connect, Activate, Grow' plan that it would reduce capex, and it has no choice now at the midway update but to stick to that target. The result is a slower roll-

GLOBAL 3 NOV 2025

The week in telecom: Nokia hooks up with Nvidia, Q3 reports show smartphone sales recovery

Another busy week in the telecom market, with the push to invest in AI driving several major deals. Nvidia is expanding its presence with an investment in Nokia and new partnerships with SK and Samsung, Qualcomm is mounting a new challenge with its own AI chips, and vendors Skyworks/Qorvo and CSG/Netcracker are merging to scale up their market power. Samsung and Apple's results show strength in smartphone sales in Q4, with hopes for a bumper year-end. 

GLOBAL 27 OKT 2025

The week in telecom: Satellite M&A gets underway, telcos weather Q3 and Samsung tries XR

Consolidation is starting in the crowded satellite market, with two large deals announced last week. The first Q3 reports show the US telcos are getting going on their new FMC strategies, while the Nordic operators are conserving cash due to the uncertain economic climate. Samsung had a relatively quiet launch for the first Android XR headset, while MWC Kigali underlined the growth potential still in the African mobile market, if operators can get the products right.

NETHERLANDS 24 OKT 2025

VodafoneZiggo preview Q3: is the churn getting any better?

VodafoneZiggo will release third-quarter results on 30 October and the question is whether the efforts to date by the Dutch operator have done anything to slow the loss of subscribers. Its last quarterly report suggested some improvement in May and June, and we will be looking to see if churn was any better in the past three months. The debt overhang also remains a problem. The management is doing everything it can to address both the churn and the debt, or in other words: increase revenues and lower costs.

EUROPE 24 OKT 2025

TP:Talks - Simon-Kucher Introduces HELP Index to Boost Telco Customer Value

Simon-Kucher presents the HELP index—which stands for Happiness, Engagement, Loyalty and Paying—as a strategic framework to help telecom operators increase customer lifetime value (CLTV) and counteract revenue erosion caused by price competition. Based on insights from a study across 31 markets and 16,000 consumers, the firm urges operators to shift their focus from acquisition to sustainable customer value, particularly in saturated and highly competitive markets such as the Netherlands.

NETHERLANDS 24 OKT 2025

KPN preview Q3: market consensus puts organic revenue growth at 2.7% with small rise in margin

Dutch operator KPN is expected to report revenues for the third quarter up 3.9 percent, according to the consensus analyst estimates collected by the company. The EBITDA will grow a faster 4.3 percent, improving the margin, and capex is estimated to increase 7.5 percent, alongside a 1.4 percent rise in operational cash flow. Free cash flow is forecast up 43 percent. The Q3 report on 28 October is expected to be a relatively limited event, focused on the most recent market trends, ahead of a bigger long-term

GLOBAL 20 OKT 2025

The week in telecom: French telcos go after SFR, Wi-Fi 8 gets started and Apple brings eSim to China

No shortage of news in the telecom sector last week. The French telcos launched a joint bid for SFR, in the latest test of 4-to-3 consolidation, while Network X brought the first Wi-Fi 8 products. Turkey is finally getting 5G, and China Mobile is trying a new brand for its international expansion.

GLOBAL 12 OKT 2025

The week in telecoms: Verizon drops CEO for new strategy and Broadcom, Cisco, NTT advance DCI hardware

The big news last week was the surprise departure of Verizon's CEO. The US operator is undergoing a major shift in its commercial strategy, which also included an acquisition and service deals last week. In the hardware market, Cisco, Broadcom and NTT are looking to capture their share of the growing AI market with new high-performance kit to link data centres. Expect more on that this week at Network X and the OCP summit, as well as key vote in the EU on the principle of private personal communication.

Just In

12:43

T-Mobile Poland adds channel TV Zero

12:42

Entel lifts Q4 revenue 12% amid higher handset sales, EBITDA rises 9%

11:51

Norlys goes ahead with Sinal's Ewii customer takeover on 02 February after fulfilling conditions

11:50

Digital inclusion support could help UK switch off DTT system in 2030s - study

Commentary

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

15 DEC 2025 13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

8 DEC 2025 11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

31 OKT 2025 11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

Background

26 JAN 00:31

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

22 JAN 14:28

Netflix can spend more on content and still improve its margin

19 JAN 00:42

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

16 JAN 09:51

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