Sunday, January 23, 2022

Week 3/2022 in Telecoms, Internet, Media

Corporate

  • Telefonica: Telefonica ES cuts 2418 jobs (from 2982 planned), cost EUR 1.4b
  • TIM
  • Telenor
  • Vodafone: Rumor: considers offer for 3 UK, considers Vodafone IT merger with Iliad IT; PE (eg CVC) or US telco could make offer for Vodafone Group
  • Vantage Towers: Partners with MOWEA (DE) to have >750 wind turbines installed on 52 towers, 650 MWh, reduces CO2 by 239 tonnes per annum; to cover 100% of energy requirement
  • Vodacom: EGM approves acquisition of 55% Vodafone Egypt stake from Vodafone
  • TalkTalk: Fitch downgrades to B+, outlook negative (based on attrition, weak rev trends, high leverage)
  • Google: Google Labs establishes unit to develop "blockchain and other next-gen distributed computing and data storage technologies"
  • Twitter: Birdseye Report (analyzed the Twitter conversation within and about 8 specific industries, with 8 Official Partners)
  • WeTransfer: Plans IPO of max 43.5% 220128, range EUR 17.50-20.50 (valuation EUR 629-716m), to raise EUR 125m form new shares + max 5.4m shares from existing shareholders (Highland, HPE Growth et al) + over-allotments of max 15%; to pay Highland EUR 23.4m for converting preference shares A into ordinary shares; tagline The Creative Productivity Group

Networks: FTTP/HFC, 5G/6G, LEO, WiFi, Cloud

  • Infratel (= gvt IT) opens tender for BB to 6.90m addresses in grey areas, EUR 3.65b (part of National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), 'Italia a 1 Giga' project, applications due 220316; roll-out to be complete 260630
  • NKOM (NO) proposes transmission network vision 2030, 4 targets: 1. Nationwide robust transmission network, 2. Several transmission networks for MNOs, 3. Choice of >= 2 BB connections for consumers & businesses, 4. Good supply of connections to other countries
  • Omdia Global Fibre Development Index (FDI) report (tracks 81 countries): Sing #1, SK #2, UAE #3, China #4, Qatar #5, Japan #6, Spain #7, Sweden #8, Lux #9, NL #36
  • Delta Fiber plans Haarlem region: Aerdenhout, Bentveld, parts of Haarlem & Heemstede (already finished Bennebroek, Bloemendaal, Overveen, Santpoort-Zuid, Vogelenzang using XGS-PON)
  • Proximus
    • Calls on gvt BE for BB subsidies for rural fiber
    • To phase out VDSL from 220331 (first in Brussel (Anspachlaan)), Scarlet to end VDSL services by YE 2022, Scarlet plans FTTH offering - Proximus migrates DSL subs (incl Scarlet subs) to fiber at higher prices (from min 27.50 to min 43 EUR/mo with promo period matching DSL price)
  • Ziply Fiber raises max speeds to 2 (120 $/mo) and 5 (300 $/mo) Gb/s (based on XGS-PON) (50 Mb/s for 20 $/mo, 200 Mb/s for 40 $/mo)
  • Bluepeak plans 5 and 10 Gb/s FTTP in Harrah, 5k premises, $5m
  • Comcast demos 4/4 Gb/s over Docsis 4.0, with Broadcom (Full Duplex Docsis 4.0 SoC modem)
  • Telenor partners with AWS to develop 5G & edge services for select industries (manufacturing, supply chain & logistics, automotive) (AWS already supplies cloud-based mobile core for Vimla (MVNO in Sweden))
  • Senza Filii for Mavenir report: migration to converged 5G Core (with SA 5G support) reduces TCO max 36%
  • Nokia’s (Bell Labs) vision for the 6G era, expects 6 features: 1. Based on AI/ML, 2. Main bands 7-20 GHz, 3. Sense the environment, situational awareness (collating signals that bounce off objects and determine type, shape, relative location, velocity, material properties), 4. Enhance latency, reliability, 5. Unprecedented network automation and agility (based on new network and service orchestration solutions, cloud-native principles, advances made in AI/ML across all network functions), 6. Designed to provide trusted services on a zero-trust infrastructure and privacy
  • Starlink has 1469 sats working + 272 moving towards operational orbits (out of 1993 launched); to launch 49 220118
  • Türk Telekom demos WiFi 6E for public spaces
  • MediaTek demos WiFi 7 tech (IEEE 802.11be, max 46 Gb/s), to launch 2023

Platforms/content: TV, video, music, gaming, AR, NFT

  • Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband) launches IPTV platform Breezeline Stream TV (with Stream TV Box), based on Android TV (linear, DVR, on demand, 3rd-party apps), with app for Android & iOS, first in NH
  • Avatel (ES) launches Avatel TV platform (tech from Viaccess Orca)
  • Deutsche Telekom: Acquires minority stake in Teridion (WAN-as-a-Service)
  • Netflix: 21Q4; 2022 guidance: FCF positive, oper margin 19-20% ("With ~60% of our revenue outside of the US due to our international success, we estimate that the US dollar’s appreciation over the past six months has cost us roughly $1 billion in expected 2022 revenue (as a reminder, we don’t hedge"), LT target remains raising oper margin 3 pp/yr "over any few year period"; LT target $10-15b gross debt, excess cash to be returned via SBB; to pay down sr notes by $700m in 22Q1 - May license video games
  • YouTube: Closes original content group, to limit funding to Black Voices and YouTube Kids Funds;  YouTube Partner Program has >2m creators, paid out >$30b in 3 yr
  • Instagram launches Instagram Subscriptions (alpha test with 10 US creaors): paid access to exclusive Instagram Live videos & Stories, 8 tiers: 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 $/mo [a la OnlyFans]
  • Midia Research report 21Q2: 524m streaming music subs (+26.4%), Spotify 31%, Apple 15%, Amazon 13%, Tencent 13%, YouTube 8%, NetEase 6%, Deezer 2%, Yandex 2%
  • Microsoft: Acquires Activision Blizzard (video game studio, esports; 10k employees), 95 $/share (premium 45%) = $68.7b cash, to close 2023; CEO Bobby Kotick to remain; $3b break-up fee
  • Google: Rumor: plans AR/MR headset (Project Iris, 300 employees, to expand, headed by Clay Bavor), to ship 2024 along with Project Starline (also for WFH/hybrid work strategy) [see 211202, 211111]
  • Meta: FT: plans to allow NFT creation & selling on Facebook & Instagram
  • Twitter: Adds feature to Twitter Blue: use NFT as profile picture (appearing as hexagons), first for iOS users
  • WeTransfer: Launches WeTransfer Premium, 23 EUR/mo or 228 EUR/yr (WeTransfer Pro: 12 EUR/mo, 120 EUR/yr)

Managed services: B2B/Cloud, 3P, FWA

  • Oracle opens cloud region ZA (first in Africa) in Johannesburg
  • Telefónica Tech and Grupo Álava develop predictive maintenance system for industry (manufacturing and processing) that promises to analyse data, spot problems and authorise timely interventions
  • BT
    • BT Global partners with Rackspace to expand cloud portfolio for business customers
    • To raise BB prices average 9.3% (average 3.50 GBP/mo) from end 220331 on rising network & usage costs (fixed +90% since 2018, mobile +79% since 2019), customer service cost, inflation, investments in sustainable energy, leaving prices unchanged for financially vulnerable customers https://newsroom.bt.com/this-years-price-changes
  • Virgin Media O2: Launches promo 220117 until 220120: free LG 4K TV (worth GBP 370) or GBP 200 voucher for new subs for Bigger Bundle & Sports (72 GBP/mo; Sky Sports, 195 channels, 108 Mb/s) and Ultimate Volt Bundle (89 GBP/mo; 230 channels, 1.13 Gb/s, O2 SIM with unlimited usage); both with 18 mo contract & GBP 35 set-up fee
  • Amarillo (Texas) launches FWA-over-4G service (max 100 Mb/s, in 5 GHz band) for school kids (with Airspan)

Regulatory: platforms

  • Google: Files appeal (second) at ECJ against EU fine from 2017 (EUR 2.42b) over Search/Spooing abuse of dominance in 13 EU countries
  • LinkedIn: Sued in US for abuse of dominant position in business social networking
  • 16 US State AGs (led by Texas) sue Google & Facebook (Meta Platforms) over collusion in online advertising - Google denies, files motion to dismiss
  • FTC and DoJ (US) start process of rewriting merger guidelines, request for comment by 220321, to finish 2022 - Dealogic: Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet each announced more takeovers in 2021 than in any year since 20211
  • Apple warns on risk of security breaches if American Innovation and Choice Online Act (prohibits dominant platforms from favoring their own products over rivals) and the Open App Markets Act (prevents dominant platforms from preferencing their own products, focus on app stores; would prevent companies with dominant app stores (Apple, Google) from conditioning distribution of an app on whether the developer uses the platform’s in-app payment system), both in US Senate, are made into law - Senate approves American Innovation and Choice Online Act to advance, applies for companies with >1b global MAU & >$550b in global sales
  • 3 members of US Congress propose Banning Surveillance Advertising Act: bans use of personal data for targeted advertising (over risks of privacy violation, spread of misinformation, domestic extremism, racial division, violence)
  • EP approves DSA (follow-up to e-Commerce directive from 2020; fake news, tracking, ban on dark patterns, special rules for VLOPs) - Trilogues planned 220131, 220222, 220315, 220324, 220406; technical meetings: 220124, 220202, 220203, 220207, 220210, 220218, 220228, 220303, 220314, 220317, 220321, 220323


at 11:10 pm

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