Openreach appoints Managing Director for Complex Engineering
UNITED KINGDOM 09:33

Openreach appoints Managing Director for Complex Engineering

Openreach has promoted Garret Kavanagh from his role as head of Openreach Northern Ireland to Managing Director for Complex Engineering, effective April 2026. In a post on LinkedIn, Openreach said he would focus on completing the UK full-fibre network roll-out and delivering Ethernet connectivity in more complex, rural areas. Lauren McGaughey will now lead the Openreach NI team on an interim basis until a replacement is appointed.

Breko appoints three new executive board member to reinforce know-how in challenging market
GERMANY 09:32

Breko appoints three new executive board member to reinforce know-how in challenging market

German industry group Breko has announced new appointments to its executive board. The additions are TWL-KOM CEO Melanie Brill, WEMACOM/WEMAConnect managing director Volker Buck, and the managing director of TKRZ, which is a subsidiary of the town of Emsdetten's utility in North Rhine-Westphalia, Inga Oehl. The appointments strengthen know-how at board level from the municipal, data centre and publicly funded open access fibre sectors. Breko president Norbert Westfal said that the organisation needs a stron

Deutsche Telekom signs wholesale partnership with Glasfaser Ruhr
GERMANY 09:23

Deutsche Telekom signs wholesale partnership with Glasfaser Ruhr

Deutsche Telekom has signed a wholesale partnership with Glasfaser Ruhr, the network operator and subsidiary of Bochum city council's utility company in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia. Under the agreement, 60,000 households in Bochum will have the option to purchase Telekom's products on Glasfaser Ruhr's fibre-optic network by 2029.

Italy's Edison cuts FTTH by EUR 5 a month
ITALY 08:50

Italy's Edison cuts FTTH by EUR 5 a month

Italian energy group Edison has reactivated an offer designed to persuade more users to sign up to the fibre broadband service it launched in 2024. Under the promo, new subscribers can access the company's FTTC and FTTH service, dubbed Edison Wi-Fi, for under EUR 20 a month.

FiberCop and Milan Polytechnic ink network research deal
ITALY 08:22

FiberCop and Milan Polytechnic ink network research deal

Italian wholesale fibre FiberCop has partnered with the Polytechnic University of Milan in a strategic initiative to advance next‑generation network infrastructure. The collaboration includes joint research and training programmes designed to foster innovation across Italy's telecommunications sector, aligning academic expertise with industrial application and national digital transformation goals.

Verizon to close Frontier takeover on 20 January
UNITED STATES 07:26

Verizon to close Frontier takeover on 20 January

Verizon has acquired all the necessary regulatory approvals to complete its takeover of Frontier Communications, following final clearance from the state of California. As a result, the takeover first announced in September 2024 will close on 20 January. The deal significantly expands Verizon's presence in the fixed market as it works on a new convergence strategy to grow and retain customers. 

Lightpath reports growth in AI-related fibre contracts across US
UNITED STATES 06:08

Lightpath reports growth in AI-related fibre contracts across US

US wholesale fibre connectivity provider Lightpath, a JV between Altice USA and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, has reported a "significant increase" in contract awards linked to AI-driven infrastructure deployments, saying it secured USD 252 million in AI-enabling total contract value during 2025. The figure represents a rise from USD 110 million awarded in 2024, bringing the operator's total contract value over the past two years to USD 362 million.

SG.GS appoints Ben Cooper to lead Australian and Pacific operations
AUSTRALIA 06:01

SG.GS appoints Ben Cooper to lead Australian and Pacific operations

Singapore and London-based wholesale carrier SG.GS has appointed Ben Cooper as Senior Vice President, Global Network Strategy & Pacific Region to lead the company's strategic growth across Australia and the Pacific. The move follows SG.GS' service expansions in North America and Eastern Europe and the carrier said this "signals a major investment in Southern Hemisphere connectivity".

Rostelecom expands fibre-optic network in Kirov region
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 15 JAN

Rostelecom expands fibre-optic network in Kirov region

Russian national operator Rostelecom has expanded the coverage of its fibre-optic network in the Kirov region. The operator covered 2,150 households in the town of Murashi, after building 36 km of fibre lines replacing obsolete copper connections with GPON technology. Broadband at up to 700 Mbps is available to customers there.

DStelecom upgrades fibre network in Vila Flor
PORTUGAL 15 JAN

DStelecom upgrades fibre network in Vila Flor

Portuguese network operator DStelecom, which has operated in Vila Flor since 2014, has upgraded its fibre-optic network in the municipality. This expansion brings high-speed internet access to four new locations: Benlhevai, Trindade, Vale Frechoso and Mourao. The existing infrastructure in Valtorno also received an upgrade. This initiative will connect approximately 750 additional homes, bringing the total to over 3,800 families in the municipality.

Community Fibre offers three months free with flash sale
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Community Fibre offers three months free with flash sale

London-based ISP Community Fibre has launched a flash sale offering free full-fibre broadband for three months. New customers switching to Community Fibre could save up to GBP 762 on their broadband bill compared to national providers. The offer is available until 23.59 hours on 02 February 2026. Customers can get 100 Mbps broadband for GBP 25 per month; 300 Mbps broadband for GBP 28 per month; or 1 Gbps broadband for GBP 32 per month after three months free, with 12-month contracts.

Altitude completes debt refinancing for fibre venture in Haute-Garonne
FRANCE 15 JAN

Altitude completes debt refinancing for fibre venture in Haute-Garonne

French infrastructure operator Altitude has announced a refinancing operation for the Fibre 31 venture created in the Haute-Garonne department to roll out and manage a public initiative network covering 280,000 rural premises. After securing the deployment contract in 2018, Altitude is now responsible for operating the open-access infrastructure under a 25‑year concession. It holds a 75 percent stake in Fibre 31, with the remaining 25 percent owned by its financial partner Banque des Territoires. Under the

UNITED STATES 15 JAN

CommScope scraps North Carolina expansion, blaming BEAD delays and Amphenol sale

CommScope has decided to discontinue a USD 60 million plan to expand its fibre-optic manufacturing in the North Carolina town of Catawba, the Charlotte Observer has reported. The company blamed financial uncertainty caused by delays in funding under the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) programme. The recent sale of its Connectivity and Cable Solutions (CCS) unit to Amphenol also makes planning more difficult, it said. The rest of CommScope has now formally been rebranded as Vistance Net

UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Hyperoptic appoints customer experience, service directors

UK fibre broadband provider Hyperoptic has boosted its customer experience and service with new senior appointments. Emma Dark has been appointed as Customer Experience and Service Director; with Nemanja Zec appointed as Head of Customer Service. Dark will lead the group's end-to-end customer experience strategy - covering sign-up, installation, service and support. Zec will focus on improving day-to-day service delivery. 

PUERTO RICO 15 JAN

Claro to invest USD 500 mln in Puerto Rico 5G and fibre push

Claro Puerto Rico (America Movil) intends to invest up to USD 500 million over a three-year period to upgrade its fibre-optic and 5G networks, reports local daily El Nuevo Dia, citing CEO Enrique Ortiz de Montellano. The investment includes USD 150 million to improve resilience and further extend 5G coverage beyond 95 percent of the island's territory, said the executive.

GERMANY 15 JAN

German government provides another EUR 1.8 bln for fibre expansion

The German government has held a ceremony to mark the latest allocation of EUR 1.8 billion in federal funding towards fibre-optic expansion in areas where it is not commercially lucrative for companies to build networks. Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation Karsten Wildberger said the state provided the funds last year to 536 projects. This went to expanding the fibre broadband coverage even in small villages and communities, and he presented certificates to some of the o

AFRICA 15 JAN

Axian Telecom reaches 1 mln homes with fibre in 2025

Axian Telecom has announced that it reached over 1 million homes with fibre coverage as it expanded in Africa after significant organic growth in 2025 and the acquisition of Wananchi Group. Axian said this is a "proud" achievement that brings the company closer to its promise of digital inclusion for everyone. Providing internet access to more homes empowers communities and creates opportunities for education, entrepreneurship and connectivity, it said. Axian aims to continue its growth using both organic e

UNITED STATES 15 JAN

Xtera wins submarine cable system contract with Cordova Telecom

Cordova Telecom Cooperative, telecoms provider operating the the Cordova region of Alaska, has selected Xtera to provide engineering design and submarine cable equipment for the Fiber Internet Serving Homes in Southeast Alaska (FISH in SEAK) project. The contract was awarded to Xtera, global provider of subsea fibre optic solutions, in partnership with Pioneer Consulting, submarine fibre-optic telecoms consulting and project management group. 

ITALY 15 JAN

Open Fiber launches FTTH in Pisa localities

Italian wholesale-only operator Open Fiber said it has completed the cabling of its FTTH infrastructure in several new rural localities in the northern province of Pisa. Over 1,240 homes, schools, commercial premises, police stations in Miemo, La Miniera, San Michele, Ligia, Sorbaiano, Buriano, Ponteginori, Gello, Casino di Terra, Querceto, La Gabella, Podere Il Prato and Sassa have been connected to the fibre network, allowing residents and businesses to access the internet at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps via

GLOBAL 14 JAN

Huber + Suhner expands sustainable packaging policy

Huber + Suhner said it has expanded its sustainable packaging policy to seventeen fibre-optic product categories altogether following strong customer response in 2025. It has removed over 743,000 single use plastic bags, replaced 1.5 million twist cable ties and converted 35,000 blister packages to 100 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

FRANCE 14 JAN

Free increases price of entry-level fibre package

French operator Free has increased the price of its 'Pop S' dual‑play broadband package for new sign‑ups to EUR 24.99/month, up from EUR 23.99 previously. All the inclusive services within the package remain unchanged, except for the guarantee to keep the cost unchanged for five years, which has now been removed following its introduction in May 2025. As before, Free is marketing this broadband bundle with inclusive VoIP calls as a web-exclusive 'Serie Speciale' (Special Series) offer, which usually indicat

ITALY 14 JAN

Open Fiber launches FTTH in more Sardinia localities

Italian wholesale-only operator Open Fiber said it has completed the cabling of its FTTH infrastructure in two new localities in Sardinia. Over 1,900 homes, schools, commercial premises and offices in Osilo and Selargius have been connected to the fibre network, allowing residents and businesses to access the internet at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps via operator partners.

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Glide wins network upgrade contract at University of Exeter

Glide announced a new contract to upgrade connectivity at the University of Exeter's student housing. The multi-year contract will see Glide provide fully managed connectivity services to 5,346 student bedrooms, making it one of Glide's largest single university accommodation deployments to date. It extends a long-term customer relationship with the University going back to 2007.

JORDAN 14 JAN

Orange Jordan expands fibre network to new areas

Orange Jordan announced the expansion of its fibre network to include Tafila and additional areas in Aqaba. This comes as part of the company's ongoing efforts to extend coverage across the country's governorates, including Ramtha, Karak, and Zarqa, as well as a series of new expansions in Irbid. 

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Background

09:51

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

15 JAN 08:55

Fairphone still a small player but market share growing in Netherlands

12 JAN 00:04

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

5 JAN 00:52

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