Telecoms, Internet, Media - The news of week 21

Telecoms - COVID-19 related

• Apple and Google are making their COVID-19 exposure tech available to public health agencies, which means you'll soon have access to contact tracing apps
• TalkTalk reports 50% increase in landline calls during lockdown
• Iliad reopens Italian stores with new security protocols

Telecoms - Earnings reports

• Luxembourg's Post Telecom sees 3% revenue growth in 2019
• Telecom Italia shares slump on revenue miss
• eir claims 'consistent, solid' nine-month results
• Rostelecom revenues up 10% in Q1 after Tele2 takeover
• Tele Columbus reports stable revenues, EBITDA in Q1, confirms forecasts for 2020
• Altice France's EBITDA growth slows to 1.6% in Q1

Telecoms - 5G

• Telekom DE (DT) plans 5G-3600 (to add 700) expansion to 14 new cities, target 20 YE 2020 (<1500 sites, coverage 50%) - Expands 5G-3600 to Bayern Munchen Stadium (11 antennas)
• Telekom Slovenije trials smart factory applications on 5G test network at Iskratel’s production plant in Kranj (Slovenia)
• Rakuten Mobile trials Massive MIMO 5G over vRAN (O-RAN), with Altiostar, NEC
• Open SIgnal report Quantifying the global 5G experience across ten operators
• Verizon expands to San Diego (total 35 cities), adds uploading (30% faster than 4G)
• National Advertising Review Board finds AT&T advertising LTE-A as 5GE misleading
• China Broadcasting Network (CBN; licenses for 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands) plans #4 network in China, with China Mobile
• Tele2 SE launches 5G (80 MHz in C-band (4-8 GHz)) in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö (commercial from 200624, free access for Unlimited subs), max 1 Gb/s
• Telia SE launches 5G in Stockholm 200525, 15 base stations (to add >60 in July 2020), to expand to Gothenburg and Malmö 2020 and 10 more cities; with Ericsson; free for existing subs
  

Telecoms - Other

• Salt, Sunrise to start joint venture to roll out fibre broadband in Switzerland
• KPN neemt FTTH-netwerk Giessenlanden over
• Liberty Global, Zouk Capital partner for UK on-street EV charging point network
• Shares sold in Poland’s Play

Media/Internet - COVID-19 related

• Amazon, Netflix Prepare to Restart Shoots in France
• WPP CEO Read Shares The Holding Company's Reopening Strategy
• Disney Springs Reopens As Entertainment Giant’s U.S. Theme Parks Inch Back Into Business
• Comcast's Universal Studios Orlando park to reopen on June 5
• HBO to Donate $1 Million to COVID-19 Relief in Lieu of Emmy Party and FYC Events

Media/Internet - Earnings reports

• Take-Two hits record financials, with in-game revenues up 34%
• Lionsgate Takes $50.5 Million COVID-19 Charge in Q4

Internet - Platforms

• Facebook CEO Zuckerberg proposes EU style platform regulation
• ACCC proposes Google, Facebook pay for content (news snippets) possibly through collective boycot by media; consultation until 200605
• Instagram launches Guides feature: curate content on specific subject
• Facebook launches Facebook Shops and Instagram Shop (summer 2020): free, turn Facebook & Instagram pages into digital storefronts
• Competition Bureau (Canada) fines Facebook CAD 9m over misleading claims about personal information
• Twitter trials feature allowing users to limit those who may answer

Media/Internet - Other

Sony Poised To Buy Finance Unit for $3.7 Billion

Axel Springer among bidders for eBay’s classifieds business