Telecompaper Headlines

(Telecompaper) Telecom Italia has announced the appointment of Elisabetta Romano as chief executive of Sparkle, the company's international services group. Romano replaces Mario Di Mauro, who resigned the previous day without giving a reason for his departure.

(Telecompaper) The US President Donald Trump has issued two executive orders essentially banning the apps TikTok and WeChat in the US. When they take effect in 45 days, US businesses and citizens will be prohibited from interacting with ByteDance and Tencent, the respective. parent companies of the two apps. Trump said the apps pose a threat to national security, foreign policy and the economy in the US. 

(Telecompaper) T-Mobile US said revenues got a boost in the second quarter from its merger with Sprint, while the net profit got hit by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and one-off costs related to the merger. The number of customers added came well within the company's wide guidance, with total customers reaching 98.3 million at the end of the quarter, pushing the company to second place on the US market after Verizon, overtaking AT&T. This is T-Mobile US' first quarter since closing its merger with Sprint. 

(Telecompaper) Vodafone said it has become the first UK mobile operator to switch on a live Open radio Access Network (OpenRAN) 4G site, enabling the introduction of more suppliers for mobile networks. The first site is now connecting the Royal Welsh Showground in Powys, Wales, with the help of Mavenir. Vodafone will now focus on seeing where it can introduce more of these type of sites, for more economical voice and high-speed connectivity.

(Telecompaper) After moving its European privacy base in June to Dublin, TikTok said it will establish a new data centre in Ireland, its first in Europe, with an investment value of EUR 420 million. TikTok has come under fire in the US where it is facing a possible ban on security grounds, and a potential class action suit from people who believe the company is collecting their personal data without proper consent. This latest move shows the company wants to reassure European users that its service is safe. The company has denied claims it is controlled by the Chinese government.

(Telecompaper) Telecom Italia said Mario Di Mauro, chief executive of Sparkle, the company's international services group, has resigned. TIM did not not reveal why Di Mauro has resigned.

(Telecompaper) 3 Group reported a drop in first-half results, hurt by the effects of the coronavirus crisis and the loss of customers in the UK and Italy. Revenues fell 7 percent to HKD 40.52 billion, and EBITDA was down 11 percent to HKD 14.45 billion. Excluding currency effects, revenues fell 3 percent and EBITDA was down 7 percent. 

(Telecompaper) MTN Group reported service revenue growth of 9.4 percent to ZAR 80 billion in the first six months to 30 June, and EBITDA up 10.9 percent year-on-year to ZAR 42 billion, as efficiency initiatives drove improvement in margins. The South Africa-based mobile operator also said it plans to exit the Middle East over the medium term to focus on Africa and is in advanced talks to sell its majority stake in MTN Syria. 

(Telecompaper) Veon reported second-quarter revenues down 16.3 percent year-on-year to USD 1.89 billion, hurt by store closures and reduced roaming due to Covid-19 restrictions. EBITDA was down 18.7 percent to USD 809 million. The operator said it expects a gradual recovery in sales and EBITDA in the second half of the year, assuming lockdown restrictions are slowly lifted. 

(Telecompaper) Samsung has unveiled a range of new premium mobile devices at an event live streamed from Korea. The new Galaxy Note20 smartphone, Galaxy Buds Live wireless earphones and Galaxy Watch3 go on sale this month, while the Galaxy Fold2 smartphone and Galaxy Tab 7 tablets will launch later this autumn. 

(Telecompaper) Telkom Kenya and Airtel Kenya have abandoned their proposed merger, after the companies were unable to secure regulatory approval under satisfactory conditions. The deal, first announced in February 2019, was aimed at helping the two operators challenge Kenyan market leader Safaricom. 

(Telecompaper) Ethio Telecom has split its network infrastructure department into five divisions for service efficiency as it prepares to remain competitive after the liberalisation of the telecom sector, reports Addis Fortune. The country's sole telecom operator is also hoping to lease its infrastructure to the two operators that are expected to join the industry in 2021. It plans to generate income by renting out its 7,100 towers and over 22,000 km of fibre optics to interested telecom operators.

(Telecompaper) Telecom Italia (TIM) said it supports an offer from KKR Infrastructure to buy a 37.5 percent stake in the new network company FiberCop for EUR 1.8 billion. The binding offer values the company at EUR 7.7 billion in total. TIM said it would start talks immediately with the government on bringing in other investors in the new network operator. 

(Telecompaper) Rackspace Technology has priced its IPO at USD 21 per share, the low end of the indicated subscription range. This puts the gross proceeds of the sale of 33.5 million shares at USD 703.5 million. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 5.025 million more shares at the same price. 

(Telecompaper) South Korean operator SK Telecom and Microsoft have announced plans to officially launch cloud gaming (formerly Project xCloud) as part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate product to Korean gamers on 15 September. SK Telecom reports that cloud gaming will be added to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as an additional service feature for customers, giving them access to more than 100 games from both Xbox Game Studios and game creators across the world at no additional cost.

(Telecompaper) T-Mobile US has launched its standalone 5G network, claiming a world first with nationwide coverage for the technology. The launch expands its 5G coverage to nearly 2,000 additional cities and towns, while also bringing 5G deeper into buildings. 

(Telecompaper) The European Commission has confirmed an in-depth investigation has started into Google's proposed takeover of wearables maker Fitbit. The EU's competition watchdog said it was concerned the deal would give Google access to additional data strengthening its position on the online advertising market. If it finds the deal could distort competition, it may ask Google for concessions or block the takeover. 

(Telecompaper) Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) continued to drive mobile growth, with 100,000 postpaid additions, and penetration reached 23 percent at Virgin Media, 46 percent at Telenet and 22 percent at UPC Switzerland. The company also said it was making progress on the proposed merger of Virgin Media and O2 UK. 

(Telecompaper) Ethio Telecom has reported a 31.4 percent increase in revenue to ETB 47.7 billion for the year ending 30 June compared with the same period in 2019, boosted by network expansion, improved customer service and expanding 4G services. 

(Telecompaper) Google has launched its new Pixel 4a smartphone, available initially in the US for USD 349. It will launch in more countries soon, and a 5G version is planned for this autumn.