Monday, October 25, 2021

Week 42 in Telecoms, Internet, Media

CORPORATE

  • Vodafone:
  • Sunrise UPC: yallo (Sunrise UPC subbrand) launches TV offer, becomes full-service provider: 270 channels, developed with Wilmaa, free for FTTH and Home 5G subs, free TV box
  • Virgin Media O2 launches Volt FMC offer for consumers & small businesses (double BB speed, doube mobile data, CPE discount GBP 150, free WiFi Plus, free RLAH in 75 countries)
  • RTL: Establishes JV TechAlliance with Amobee for ad-tech solutions from Amobee and Smartclip and Yospace (for addressable TV ads), to close 22Q1
  • Sony: Sells GSN Games to Scopely, $1b in cash & stock
  • Google: Lowers Play Store fees to 15% (subsc riptions), 10% (ebooks and on-demand music streaming services) 2023
  • Amazon:
    • To hire for 150k seasonal jobs in US o/w 4500 in Illinois, 23k in California, 6200 in Arizona, 3000 in Minneapolis/St. Paul
    • Amazon Accelerate 2021 conference: added 100k brands (sellers) YTD; launches new services for 3rd-party sellers:  search analytics dashboard; Product Opportunity Explorer; adds services, tools, benefits; launches tools to empower 3rd-party sellers to offer products in Amazon's 21 global stores; adds tools for 3rd-party sellers for local sales (in-store pickup, fast delivery)
  • Facebook:
  • Snap:
    • Establishes Arcadia: AR content studio (ArcadiaCreativeStudio.com)
    • 21Q3; expects significant headwinds from Apple’s privacy changes to iOS, global supply chain issues, labor shortages impacting partners
  • Pinterest: Rumor: PayPal plans offer, 70 $/share = $39b

NETWORKS

  • Ookla Speedtest Global Index (Sep 2021) global average FBB 113/62 Mb/s, MBB 63/13 Mb/s; FBB: Monaco #1 (262), Sing #1 (256), HK #3 (255), RO #4 (232), CH #5 (230), NL #25 (165); MBB: UAE #1 (238), S Korea #2 (203), NO #3 (178), Qatar #4 (172), China #5 (165), NL #16 (107)
  • NKOM (NO) report on BB at 210630 (total 2512137 HH): FTTP availability 76%, cable BB ~12%, FWA ~2%, remainder <100 Mb/s [www.ekomstatistikke.no]
  • FTTP
    • Eir: Rumor: plans FTTP network spin-off, outside investor to acquire 49% stake
    • Altice: Rumor: Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners, Apollo Global Management, EQT, Masmovil interested in Altice PT, valuation EUR 7b; Altice denies sale plan
    • PPF: Sells 30% stake in CETIN to GIC (Singapore sovereign wealth fund)
    • Virgin Media O2: Bloomberg: considers network carve out, valuation GBP 9.8b
  • Strategy Analytics report on PON standards
  • 5G: ITU-R approves first non-cellular 5G standard (ETSI DECT-2020 NR) for IoT (for enterprises) as part of IMT-2020 (5G), for shared spectrum in 1.9 GHz band
  • Cloud: TelcoDR raises $1b for cloud software acquisitions

SERVICES

  • VIDEO
    • WarnerMedia: 21Q3 HBO & HBO Max: 45.2m US subs (down on loss of Amazon Channels subs), 69.4m globally (+7.1m yoy); 2022 film releases to get 45 day exclusive theater window; considers new name for HBO Max; AVOD tier to have same content as SVOD tier from 2022
    • Netflix: 21Q3; to change viewing stats to total hr viewed in first 28 days; Historic Top 5 for series: Bridgerton 625m hr in first 28 days, Money Heist 619m hr, Stranger Things season 3 582m hr, The Witcher season 1 541m hr, 13 Resons Why season 2 496m; Historic Top 5 for movies: Bird Box 282m hr, Extraction 231m hr, The Irishman 215m hr, The Kissing Booth 2 209m hr, 6 Feet Underground 205m hr; Squid Game 142m viewers (>= 2 min) in first 28 days; considers internal game development
    • YouTube: App Annie: Apple iOS drives $3b in consumer spend YTD worldwide from paid membership channels & premium subscriptions
  • MUSIC
    • Apple: Adds low-end tier: Apple Music Voice Plan, 5 $/mo with limited features, in 17 countries, access through Siri for 1 person; currently 90m tracks
  • GAMING

HARDWARE

  • Google: Pixel 6 Event: launches Pixel 6 ($600; 128 or 256 GB; RAM 8 GB) & Pixel 6 Pro ($900; 128, 256 or 512 GB; RAM 12 GB), with Tensor CPU & SoC (from ARM), 5G, Android 12; launches Pixel Pass in US: 45 $/mo for Pixel 6 or 55 $/mo for Pixel 6 Pro, extended warranty, Google One (200 GB storage), Google Play Pass, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium; launches Pixel Stand (gen 2), $80 (wireless charger)
  • Apple: Unleashed Event: Launches new MacBook Pro (14 from $2000, 16 inch from 2500) with new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips; launches new AirPods 3 (gen 3, with H1 chip), $180; rumor: to launch new Beats Fit Pro earbuds 211101; launches Apple Music Voice Plan (access through Siri) in 17 countries, 5 $/mo (currently 90m tracks); launches new HomePod Mini (new colors)
  • Comcast: Launches XClass TV in US: smart TV, built by Hisense, 43 inch for $300, 50 inch for $350 incl 12 mo free access to Peacock Premium With Ads; pre-installed apps: Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV (Dish), Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Comcast’s Xumo, ViacomCBS’s Pluto, Fox’s Tubi, Amazon’s IMDb TV - Distr deal with Walmart
  • Spotify: IKEA plans Spotify-enabled speaker that doubles as a lamp (Vappeby)

REGULATION

  • CNMC (ES) approves proposal extending competitive markets (at least 3 operators, Telefonica's share <50%) from 66 (35% pops coverage) to 696 cities (70% pops coverage) where Telefonica will not have wholesale obligation; to retain wholesale obligation in 7453 munis (30% pops coverage); Telefonica's O2 brand to go nationwide
  • NKOM (NO) launches regulation of Telenor's FWA service to prevent pricing squeeze

PLATFORMS

  • Agreement on digital tax between FR, IT, ES, AT, UK and US - Digital services taxes to end 2023 (levies paid for the DSTs in the interim will be credited to future tax bills), US to end punitive tariffs on products from AT, FR, IT, ES, UK
  • ACM (NL) starts market investigation related to EU Platform-to-Business Regulation (190711), plans first report spring 2022; Min EZK plans law appointing ACM as regulator




at 12:37 am

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