The promotion of Vodafone’s CFO Nick Read to succeed Vittorio Colao as group CEO comes ahead of a potentially colossal regulatory battle, as the UK telecoms giant seeks approval for its €18.4bn (US$21.8bn) acquisition of certain Liberty Global European cable assets. German incumbent Deutsche Telekom has vowed to fight Vodafone’s proposed purchase of Liberty Global's operations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. Vodafone’s new CEO will need to...

Zayo Group unveiled a US$500m buyback on the heels of posting mixed quarterly results, as the infrastructure player establishes itself as the most scaled independent fibre network in North America. Despite posting record bookings of US$9.5m in its most recent quarter, Zayo’s shares have fallen almost 8% this year. Some of the stock movement may be attributed to the unexpected departure of COO Andrew Crouch. The company said Crouch’s resignation was not related to his or the company’s performance. Zayo has “multiple paths to value creation”, including...

UK air management provider NATS has invested US$69m in Aireon, the satellite-based aircraft traffic surveillance firm, boosting Iridium Communications as passenger numbers are set to soar. Aireon plans to pay Iridium…

Eutelsat Communications had drab results in fiscal Q3 as the France-based satellite operator points to a growth strategy focused on consumer broadband. The company’s mobile broadband business had a…

On the surface, the synergies that satellite operator Globalstar will gain by merging with metro fibre provider FiberLight are primarily financial, adding cashflow to support leverage and protect the value of its prized spectrum assets. But the complex deal led by Thermo Capital could also have a strategic element down the road as satellite and terrestrial connectivity...

Nokia has acquired US-based SpaceTime Insight, a provider of industrial IoT analytics, as the Finnish equipment vendor positions itself for 5G rollouts worldwide and an expected uptick in network spending by wireless carriers. The move expands Nokia’s IoT portfolio in key verticals – including transportation, energy and utilities – and comes at a time of intense competition in the telecoms equipment manufacturing space. Nokia has felt increasing pressure from...

US cableco Comcast is reportedly preparing a hostile US$60bn all-cash offer for 21st Century Fox, renewing its interest in the media giant five months after abandoning its efforts. The move could provoke a bidding war with The Walt Disney Co., which agreed to buy most of 21st Century Fox in a US$52.4bn all-stock deal in December 2017. Comcast’s bid will only proceed if...

Vodafone’s long-awaited €18.4bn (US$21.8bn) deal to buy some of Liberty Global’s European cable assets may herald further consolidation in the sector as network convergence becomes critical for survival. The enterprise value of the transaction – which includes Liberty Global's operations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania – breaks down to €10.8bn (US$12.8bn) in new cash, and €7.6bn (US$9bn) of Liberty Global’s existing debt. It solidifies Vodafone’s position as a rival to German incumbent Deutsche Telekom and a significant...