Monday, January 10, 2022

Week 1/2022 in Telecoms, Internet, Media

Corporate

  • KPN: Outlook 2022, 10 priorities: Cybersecurity, fiber, stacking streaming services, sustainability, WFH, partnerships, reliable data traffic, 5G streaming gaming, closing 3G, foldable smartphone
  • Orange:
    • Orange Digital Investment invests in Move Capital I fund, invests in IoT, AI, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Industry 4.0 (managed by Kepler Cheuvreux Invest Tech Growth fund, supports B2B providers)
    • Rumor: 3 candidates to replace Stephane Richard as CEO: Ramon Fernandez (Orange CFO), Christel Heydemann (Schneider Electric head for Europe), Frank Boulben (chief revenue officer at Verizon) [see 211125]
  • TIM:
  • Telia: Sells Telia Latvia (B2B) to Tet, EV EUR 10.75m = 10x EBITDA 2021E (maintains 49% in Tet (fixed) & 60.3% in LMT (mobile))
  • Magyar Telekom: To close DTH service 220121
  • AT&T: Shareholder update 21Q4: postpaid net adds 1.3m, fiber net adds 270k, global HBO & HBO Max subs 73.8m (excludes free trials, basic & Cinemax subs)
  • Vodafone: Vodafone Oman (partner network, not subsidiary) launches as #3 MNO
  • VodafoneZiggo:
    • Launches Sustainable Finance Framework based on CSR strategy [see 201211], Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles (Selection of KPIs, Calibration of Sustainability Performance Targets, Characteristics of the Sustainability-Linked Financing, Reporting, Verification), adds ESG policies: a. 2% per annum energy efficiency improvement, reduce gas emissions & use 100% wind energy, e-waste management, b. offers public transport to all employees (taken by 80%), promote digital skills, appoints Data Protection Officer (incl privacy), c. establishes CSR committee; plans further carbon reduction (announcement mid 2022); proceeds may finance or refinance projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, circular economy adapted products, production technologies and processes and/or certified eco-efficient products, green buildings
    • Second opinion from Sustainalytics (= Morningstar) on KPIs (highly ambitious), sustainability strategy (strong commitment), "Sustainalytics is confident that VodafoneZiggo is well-positioned to issue or borrow use of proceeds green bonds and loans and sustainability-linked bonds and loans and that VodafoneZiggo Sustainable Finance Framework is in alignment with the Green Bond Principles 2021, Green Loan Principles 2021, Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles 2020, and Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles 2021"
    • Moody's assigns B1 to sr secured notes due 2032 (EUR & USD) to refinance outstanding USD 1.6b backed sr secured notes due 2027 & outstanding EUR 620m backed sr secured notes due 2027    
  • Lyntia: Antin puts Lyntia (fiber ES, formerly Ufinet) up for sale, rumored candidates Cellnex, ATC, EUR 4b
  • Tiscali: Plans merger with Linkem Retail, plans 1:100 reverse stock split: 5.0975 Tiscali shares per EUR 1 of share capital value of Linkem Retail, to own 62%, EGM March 2022, to close 22H1
  • Digital Realty: Acquires 55% stake in Teraco (ZA) at $3.5b valuation, 45% to be owned by mgt, Berkshire Partners, Permira, van Rooyen Group, Columbia Capital, Stepstone Ventures, Teraco Connect Trust (with right to sell after 3.5-5.5 yr), to close 22H1
  • Google: Acquires Siemplify (cybersecurity (security orchestration, automation & response (SOAR) technologies), Israel, 200 employees, total raised $58m), $500m
  • RTL: Sells VideoAmp (ad-tech, US) stake (8.57%), $104m = EUR 92m cash, closed 220104 (invested $14.5m)

Networks

  • Ookla Speedtest Global Index:
    • (Nov 2021) global mean average FBB 120/67 Mb/s, MBB 70/14 Mb/s
      • FBB: Monaco #1 (275), Sing #2 (255), HK #3 (252), RO #4 (241), Chile #5 (239), NL #27 (173)
      • MBB: UAE #1 (281), S Korea #2 (222), Qatar #3 (193), NO #4 (188), Cyprus #5 (186), NL #17 (112)
    • (Nov 2021) global median average FBB 58/24 Mb/s, MBB 29/9 Mb/s
      • FBB: Sing #1 (185), Chile #2 (173), Thailand #3 (171), HK #4 (158), DK #5 (152), NL #19 (97)
      • MBB: UAE #1 (136), NO #2 (117), S Korea #3 (105), Qatar #4 (98), China #5 (97), NL #6 (95)
  • GSA market snapshot YE 2021:
    • 487 operators invest in 5G o/w 200 launched 5G in 78 countries (187 in 72 mobile, 83 in 45 FWA
    • 99 operators in 50 countries invest in SA 5G o/w 20 in 16 are live
    • 1257 announced 5G devices (857 commercial) o/w 614 phones
  • NTT plans 6G pilot (IOWN) 2025 at World Expo in Osaka
  • UK
    • Axione UK (Bouygues, Vauban Infrastructure Partners) plans to start roll-out in St Andrews in Fife (Scotland) [see 191018]
    • Truespeed (SW England) raises GBP 100m from Aviva Investors
    • Lothian Broadband raises GBP 20m from Scottish National Investment Bank, raised target from 50k to 70k premises
    • Borderlink (brand GoFibre) raises GBP 164m from Gresham House to exand in Scotland & N England, to add 500k premises in 3 yr
  • US
    • UTOPIA plans expansion to Cedar Hills and Santa Clara (southern Utah)
    • Charter demos 8.5/6 Gb/s over FDD Docsis 4.0 (1.8 GHz; or Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD)), with Vecima

Content

Hardware/CPE

  • Samsung launches Galaxy S21 FE smartphone (midrange: EUR 750) & smart TVs (incl Smart Hub for curation, discovery, switching between Media, Game (Gaming Hub for access to NVIDIA GeForce Now, Google Stadia, Utomik) and Ambient) & soundbars; launches standalone SmartThings smart home controller (tablet, 8.4 inch, with Bixby); launches curved monitor Odyssey Ark (55 inch)
  • LG launches smart TVs with access to apps: LIVENow (concerts, shows, sports), 1M HomeDance, LG Fitness, Independa (remote care)
  • Garmin launches 2 smartwatches: Venu 2 Plus and Vivomove Sport
  • TCL launches new TVs, incl 98 inch TV ($8000); plans first laptop Book 14 Go (14 inch, $350)
  • Panasonic launches LZ2000 (OLED TVs; 55, 65, 77 inch)
  • Sony plans new PS VR headset & controller, launches new TV range (incl Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Model); launches 3 smartphones, tablets, 5G router; plans second EV Sony Mobility Vision-S02 (SUV) 2022 (with 5G from Vodafone DE)
  • Samsung plans Galaxy S22 lineup
  • OnePlus launches OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone (first in China 220111)
  • Amazon: Partners with Stellantis (Fiat, Chrysler, Peugeot, Citroen etc): to deliver software for STLA SmartCockpit (digital cabin platform, to launch 2024); AWS order from Stellantis
  • Apple: Rumor: plans MR headset 2022 to focus on AR/VR for bursts of gaming, communication & content consumption (will not be an all-day device)

Regulatory/platforms

  • SolidLab (= imec) to trial Solid, with UGent (IDLab & MICT), VUB (SMIT), KU Leuven (COSIC & DistriNet), PIXLES (UGent), CiTip (KU Leuven) [see 210527]
  • Bundeskartellamt (DE) has extended powers as result of changed competition law (2021, incl supervising large digital corporations)
  • CNIL (FR) fines Google EUR 150m, Facebook EUR 60m over cookie management, to provide easier way of refusing cookies within 3 mo (else daily fine EUR 100k)



at 2:46 pm

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