Week 25 in Telecoms, Internet, Media

CORPORATE

• Vodafone: Vodafone DE launches subbrand SIMon (mobile discounter): 9 EUR/mo for new subs proting phone number form competitor discounter, 12 EUR/mo for new subs non porting, 15 EUR/mo for porting from premium brand (Vodafone, Telekom, Telefonica) or subbrand (Otelo, Congstar)
• Liverty Global: Rumor: puts Virgin Media IE up for sale, EUR 2b
• AT&T: Warner Bros Games (= WarnerMedia) sells Playdemic (mobile games) to Electronic Arts (EA), $1.4b cash
• O2 CR: PPF raises stake to 90.01%, plans squeeze-out
• RTL: RTL NL to merge with Talpa Netwerk    
• Mollie: Raises USD 800m (EUR 665m) at $6.5b valuation from Blackstone, EQT, General Atlantic, HMI Capital, Alkeon Capital, TCV; to hire 300 employees; focus on transactions with small businesses in Europe; 120k monthly active merchants, payment processing value EUR 20b in 2021E

FIXED

• Vodafone: Vodafone DE considers mixed upgrade to Docsis 4.0 (plans test end 2021-2022; requires replacing taps or splitters) & FTTP; currently rund fiber to alomost all amplifiers (~250k)
• Telenet: Talks with Fluvius on FTTP continue, to decide 21H2; VREG (energy regulator BE) opposes Fluvius FTTP plans (riases risk, lowers credit rating, raises costs EUR 75m)
• VodafoneZiggo: Ziggo plans FTTP in new housing projects, first Zalmhaventoren area Rotterdam, also in The Hague, Arnhem; estimates cost at 2 EUR/mter for FTTH, 3 EUR/mter for HFC; modems and offerings same as for HFC 
• Tele2: Launches model for planning network upgrades, focus on MDU locations (22k landlord customers)
• Eurofiber: Partners with NBN (DE, dark fiber in 52 cities) to expand FTTO
• Onivia: Targets 3m HP YE 2021, 9m HP by 2025

6G

• S Korea to invest SKW 220b ($195m) in 6G by 2025 - Targets 2028 for first commercial network  

AUDIO

• Facebook: Launches Live Audio Rooms for public figures & creators [a la Clubhouse] and podcast support in US

HARDWARE

• NBC Universal: WSJ: Peacock has <10m paying subs; plans to develop smart TV (branded Xfinity; at Walmart, made by Hisense; Project PlatCo) for nationwide app platform; considers offer for Roku; considers alliance with ViacomCBS
• Verizon: Rumor: plans LVD1: smart display, 8 inch, 4G, WiFi, Bluetooth

CLOUD & SECURITY

• Smartprofile for Dutch IT Channel: report Cloud in Nederland (survey of 1900)
• Mavenir (with MobiledgeX, DT) demos cloud-native user plane function (UPF) to support MEC
• Samsung launches One Antenna Radio: consolidates 3.5 GHz massive MIMO radio with low-band & mid-band passive antennas into a single form factor
• EC proposes to establish Joint Cyber Unit for the EU in Brussels

REGULATION

• Raad van State (NL) advises Tweede Kamer on implementing EU-Telecomcode, formally aimed 201221 (niversal BB access, competition, small cells, interoperability, interconnection, access to passive infra (colocation)

PLATFORMS

• Google
• EC starts antitrust investigation of digital ad tech "to the detriment of competing providers of advertising technology services, advertisers and online publishers"
• Delays phasing out cookies 2 yr to end 2023
• Amazon: FTC to review MGM acquisition [see 210526]
• Apple: Bundeskartellamt (DE) starts antitrust investigation against App Store, products & services (iCloud, AppleCare, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+), ecosystem around iOS, App Tracking Transparency framework, pre-installation of Apple's own apps on its devices, in-app purchasing system (30% commission of all purchases made and the restriction that apps may only be distributed on Apple devices through the company's ‌App Store‌ and not other third-party app marketplaces)
• Microsoft plans Windows 11 end 2021; integrates Teams, Android apps (via Amazon app store and Intel Bridge), newsfeed, widgets, new Microsoft Store (0% commission on 3rd-party apps); requires TPM functionality and DX12 GPUs
• Platforms: CMA (UK) starts investigation of Amazon and Google over fake reviews