Government urged to fast-track 5G roll out to boost coronavirus recovery June 29, 2020 The government could boost overall economic activity by £150bn if the UK were to speed up 5G rollout by two years, a new report has found, as Britain seeks to bolster its economy from the financial turmoil of coronavirus. A new report published today by Vodafone found that the British economy could see productivity gains [...]
Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund ‘builds stake in BT’ June 21, 2020 Saudia Arabia is thought to be buying up a stake in BT, as the kingdom looks to take positions in blue chip companies at a knock-down price during the pandemic. The $325bn (£263bn) Saudi sovereign wealth fund, has reportedly been building a stake in BT on the open markets in recent weeks, with the company [...]
Exclusive: Elixirr seeks London IPO to end coronavirus drought June 19, 2020 Management consultancy firm Elixirr, whose clients have included Barclays, O2 and RBS, is seeking a London IPO, ending a two-month drought in flotations on the London Stock Exchange. Elixirr will seek a listing on London’s junior AIM exchange this summer, City A.M. can reveal. The company, founded in 2009, plans to go on an equity-funded [...]
Wirecard chief quits as shares plummet over missing €1.9bn June 19, 2020 Wirecard chief executive Markus Braun has resigned with immediate effect after the German payments firm’s disclosure of a €1.9bn (£1.7bn) accounting black hole sent shares into a tailspin. Shares have plunged more than 80 per cent since Wednesday’s close after auditor EY yesterday refused to sign off Wirecard’s financial accounts after discovering that €1.9bn of [...]
When and where to watch the Premier League after lockdown hiatus June 17, 2020 The Premier League is back — but not as we know it. After a 100-day hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the top-flight football season will return to screens this evening from behind closed doors. Following pressure from culture secretary Oliver Dowden, most of the Premier League’s 92 remaining shows are set to be shown [...]
Sky to claw back £330m from sports cancellations ahead of Premier League restart June 16, 2020 Sky is set to receive rebates of up to £330m from organisers of leading sporting events, as the broadcaster seeks to shore up its balance sheet after months of cancelled events. The Premier League has agreed to return £170m to Sky, the Financial Times reported, after the UK broadcaster allowed customers to halt sports subscriptions [...]
HPE boss warns of Huawei cyberattacks June 11, 2020 Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) managing director has warned of “data loss, privacy breaches and cyberattacks” if the government proceeds with Huawei technology in its 5G rollout. Speaking to City AM, Marc Waters said: “Securing the future of the UK’s mobile networks is a vital issue. Data loss, privacy breaches, and cyberattacks on individuals, organizations and [...]
O2 amps up pressure for UK networks to snub Huawei June 10, 2020 O2 today announced a partnership with Ericsson to upgrade its 5G technology, adding pressure for other telecoms firms to seek alternatives to Huawei as force grows for the UK to cut ties with the Chinese vendor. The UK telecoms firm last October confirmed plans for Ericsson to develop part of its 5G infrastructure. O2 today [...]
Vodafone lashes out over UK’s Huawei doubts June 10, 2020 Vodafone has warned that the UK’s desire to be a global leader in 5G technology will be crippled if it decides to block Huawei from the country’s telecoms infrastructure. “The UK’s leadership in 5G will be lost if mobile operators are forced to spend time and money replacing existing equipment,” said Scott Petty, Vodafone UK’s [...]
BT auditor highlights new accounting weaknesses June 8, 2020 The external auditor of BT has highlighted “material weaknesses” within the company’s financial reporting controls, in the latest upset to its accounting credibility. In a letter to the telecoms firm KPMG noted that BT “did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of 31 March, 2020 because of… material weaknesses related to general [...]