Virgin Media Ireland’s Post

This could be a game-changer for OTT broadcasters and telecom service providers. Service charge or facilitation charge— who will bear the cost ? Can infrastructure improve? Should telecom companies partner exclusively with app platforms and OTT players? A healthy debate should arise from such events.

From BTN: United Group B.V. has completed its #acquisition of the #Bulgarian #DTH #satellite platform and #broadband internet provider Bulsatcom. Last week, the purchase received approval from Bulgaria’s competition authority, despite the intervention of former Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov who had suggested any approval of the transaction by Bulgaria’s Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) could harm competition in the sector. #Netherlands-based United Group said the transaction was part of a long-term strategy to expand and strengthen its market presence in the region and drive innovation for a digital, connected society.[...] United Group entered the Bulgarian market in 2020 with the acquisition of Vivacom. United has developed the country’s largest 5G network and the launch of the first 10GIGA fibre network. United Group also provided Bulgarian consumers with the first 5G unlimited tariff plans and access to the award-winning EON TV platform. #mergersandacquisitions #mergersacquisitionsdivestitures #ownership

Thursday School : Bidding (Room) for Spectrum! 🌈  This rooftop site in West Yorkshire sits atop a historic mill which is the setting for TV’s The Bidding Room, where dealers bid for curios brought in by visitors who have been given a snap valuation before they enter the room. A small number of bidders – who are known to each other – offer conservative bidding, averaging about the estimated valuation. Once a decade, the UKs MNOs enter the Bidding Room with OfCom to buy new spectrum. Initially spectrum was allocated for specific (1G) use - termed Command and Control - but for the past 25 years or so the UK regulator has determined that a competitive auction for exclusive national use of a specific piece of spectrum is the answer to ‘maximising the value of the airwaves’. But this means that an operator pays the same for the spectrum to cover 1000 Ilkley Moor customers as it does to cover 1000 densely packed users in Leeds City Centre. At it’s most absurd in 2000 the RadioCommunications Agency – as OfCom was then known – invited extra bidders and raised £22.5Bn for 3G spectrum licenses against an estimate of £5Bn. So the MNOs had the spectrum but no cash to spend on the networks to broadcast it! In 2024 terms for £41Bn you could build full-fibre to every home in the UK!  Other comparable countries have what is termed a ‘Beauty Contest’ for exclusive use – such as MNOs committing to deliver voice or data services to 98% of the population within 3 years, and more recently we’ve seen international trends for hybrid (localised dedicated and shared/temporary) spectrum allocations (essentially pay-as-you-go) for specific uses such as private networks. Such schemes prevent MNOs from ‘banking’ spectrum to prevent competitors using it. It’s widely expected that the price for a merger between Vodafone and Three UK will be the release of spectrum. We’re unlikely to see any new entrant spending billions on spectrum and billions on a new network. ❓So how should that spectrum be made available for maximum ‘UK PLC Value’❓ #EveryDaysaSchoolDay #Mobile 🤳🏼#Telecommunications #Infrastructure Previous Post: https://lnkd.in/eypd5sQq

Over the past few years, the telecommunications sector has grappled with formidable challenges, marked by declining revenues and escalating investment costs. Despite its integral role in connectivity, the industry has faced underperformance relative to market indices, coupled with the burden of substantial capital expenditure, particularly in network and infrastructure upgrades, notably in the realm of 5G deployments. Read this blog as we dissect the factors influencing the telecom landscape, unravel the dynamics at play, and delve into viable options that hold the promise of not just short-term relief, but long-term sustainability. [https://lnkd.in/gsPSueqZ] #telcos #telecommunications #telecoms #ads #advertising #5G

This is a tale of two markets. Comcast and Charter Communications, the two biggest cable companies in the U.S., according to Inside Towers Intelligence, have had their share of ups and downs over the past two years trying to expand their respective broadband and mobile subscriber bases. For both companies, signing up new customers to cable broadband services has been, well, a disaster. They both have actually been losing customers to fiber overbuild competitors and to mobile network operators’ fixed wireless access services. On the other hand, both cablecos have had success in signing up new customers for their mobile services, by offering wireless in a bundle with Internet and TV services.  #comcast #chartercommunications #broadband #fwa

Altice has an interesting approach to stopping the loss of subscribers on their network - cutting prices. What is interesting is the two largest cable providers, Comcast and Charter, are doing the opposite and raising prices. My guess is neither solution will work very well, as they are battling against superior technology in fiber based competitors or lower prices in fixed based competitors. Sounds a little like what happened when they used their HFC networks to kill DSL. https://lnkd.in/gqZ9Ezvy

Today we’re announcing our Q4 and full year 2023 financial results as Virgin Media O2. We ended the year with stable revenues in line with our revised guidance at Q3, and achieved the low end of our mid-single-digit Transaction Adjusted EBITDA growth guidance through accelerated synergy execution which offset the impacts of consumer spend optimisation. Operationally, we invested another £2 billion in our networks and services, with 2023 being the fastest year of fibre rollout as our fibre footprint reached over 4 million premises. In aggregate, our fully gigabit serviceable footprint now reaches over half of all UK homes, and our 5G network covers half the UK population. We also continued trading momentum with mobile and fixed customer growth, supported by sustained customer-first initiatives like inclusive EU roaming and our O2 Priority loyalty scheme. Looking ahead, the 2024 outlook will be impacted by incremental investment in key initiatives to drive future growth, including increased marketing across our rapidly expanding fixed footprint, new commercial initiatives and wider digital and IT efficiency programmes. We remain focused on delivering against our core strategy and these key investments will help us to lay down strong foundations for future success. Our Earnings Release here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/et7zZGvW #VirginMediaO2Results #TeamVirginMediaO2

The total telecom and pay-TV services revenue in Singapore is forecast to decline at a CAGR of 0.2% over the period 2023 to 2028, despite a rise in subscriptions in mobile data and fixed broadband segments, according to GlobalData. https://lnkd.in/gw4CSZ8E

Virgin Media O2 reports £3.3 bn loss in 2023 In 2023, Virgin Media O2 recorded a significant loss of £3.3 billion, primarily due to a substantial goodwill impairment, heightened debt expenses, and constrained cash flows. #ouch #VirginMediaO2 #FinancialLoss #GoodwillImpairment #DebtCosts #CashFlowConstraints.

They keep coming - Yet another US cable company announce the launch of a MVNO through a MVNO enabler platform Breezeline, a provider of broadband internet, TV and voice services in the U.S., announced today that it plans to launch mobile phone service as a mobile virtual network operator (#MVNO) starting in spring 2024. Breezeline will be launching its mobile operations through the National Content & Technology Cooperative’s (NCTC) MVNO enabler platform. A turnkey mobile service solution including customized billing, account management and provisioning supported by the #MVNE Reach and the network of AT&T. “We are deploying our services on a robust, industry-leading mobile network with unique customization options that will allow customers to mix and match Unlimited and By-the-Gig plans,” said Heather McCallion, Breezeline’s Vice President of new Business and Business Transformation. #BreezelineMobile, which will be available to Breezeline Internet customers, will include unlimited nationwide talk and text, combined with By-the-Gig or Unlimited data plans. “We are excited to launch Breezeline Mobile in the 13 states we serve,” said Frank van der Post, President of Breezeline. “Customers will now have a new choice for affordable, high-performance mobile connectivity, with reliable national coverage and a superior customer experience.” Breezeline is a subsidiary of Cogeco Inc., which operates in Canada, under the Cogeco Connexion name. Breezeline is the eighth-largest cable operator in the United States. The company provides its residential and business customers with Internet, TV, and Voice services in 13 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. https://lnkd.in/djaFAy3i NCTC says it has around 100 cable members kicking the tires on its MVNO offering, which was introduced last year. Last month cable company TVS Cable became the first NCTC member to launch MVNO services via NCTC: https://lnkd.in/dVCG7HfP Allo Communications, a fiber network operator serving parts of Nebraska, Colorado and Arizona, is set to become the next to launch MVNO services via NCTC's platform. 3 weeks ago, Twin Valley, the largest independently owned broadband and communications company in Kansas, announced the launch of its #MVNO to provide mobile services. See more here: https://lnkd.in/dtQWUg6e Twin Valley is taking advantage of the enabler solution made possible via the collaboration between the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) and NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and their MVNO enabler solution.