Vodafone pays out dividend but scraps guidance over coronavirus May 12, 2020 Vodafone held onto its dividend for 2019 as it narrowed losses substantially despite the coronavirus outbreak, the telco revealed today. But it scrapped 2021 financial year guidance over the pandemic, though outlined €1bn in cost savings and mooted a possible IPO of its mobile masts company early next year. The figures Vodafone booked a loss [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks rise despite more dire economic warnings May 7, 2020 US stocks have joined the FTSE 100 in positive territory as investors bet on a relatively speedy economic recovery from coronavirus despite yet more dire economic predictions. London’s blue-chip FTSE 100 index was up 1.4 per cent at 5,933 points in afternoon trading. This was despite the Bank of England warning of the worst slump [...]
How the O2-Virgin Media merger will reshape the telecoms sector May 7, 2020 O2 and Virgin Media this morning confirmed they will join forces in a mammoth merger that will create a new £31bn telecoms powerhouse. The deal — reports of which first emerged last week — came as little surprise to industry watchers, though the timing of the deal in the middle of a global pandemic has [...]
BT scraps dividend as Covid-19 and full-fibre rollout hit profit May 7, 2020 BT today scrapped its dividend as the coronavirus crisis and full-fibre broadband costs weighed on profit. The telecoms giant said it had taken the “exceptionally difficult” decision to suspend the payout until 2022, when it will be reduced 50 per cent to 7.7p per share. It came as BT posted a two per cent dip [...]
Barclaycard signs concert sponsorship deal with Global May 6, 2020 Barclaycard has inked a three-year deal with Global to sponsor its flagship pop concerts as the companies turn their focus to live events after the coronavirus lockdown. The partnership includes headline sponsorship of the Capital Summertime Ball and Jingle Bell Ball — the first time the two events have been sponsored together. The Summertime Ball [...]
O2-Virgin Media merger: The deal makes sense, but could rival bids crash the party? May 4, 2020 It’s a busy time for the telecoms industry, which has been forced into overdrive as millions of people turn to mobile and broadband services during the coronavirus lockdown. So it may seem like an unlikely time to embark on a mega-merger, but this is exactly what O2 and Virgin Media are looking to do. Parent [...]
Telefonica confirms talks to merge O2 with Virgin Media May 4, 2020 O2’s Spanish parent company has confirmed reports that it is in discussions with Liberty Global over a potential merger with Virgin Media. Telefonica this morning said it has just begun talks with Virgin Media owner Liberty, which is led by telecoms billionaire John Malone, over a tie-up between the British mobile operator and cable company. [...]
Virgin Media and O2 owners in talks over tie-up May 3, 2020 Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica is in talks with Liberty Global about a merger of its mobile business O2 with Liberty’s Virgin Media cable company. A combination of O2 and Virgin Media would reshape the UK’s telecoms industry, leaving Three and Vodafone stranded without their own fixed-line consumer networks. Telefonica has been examining options for the [...]
How industries can fight the Fake Elon Musk and Celebrity Crypto Scams April 28, 2020 The realism, scale and sophistication of scammers around the world using tech industry celebrities such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk continues to increase. This is especially visible around the case of Musk iit’s extended past the twitter “Crypto Giveaways” using images and fake accounts. It has gone so far to having live stream videos [...]
Former BT chairman Mike Rake joins Huawei UK board April 14, 2020 Sir Mike Rake, former BT chairman and president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has joined the UK board of controversial Chinese tech giant Huawei. The City stalwart has served as an adviser to Huawei since January 2019, helping the firm to fend off attacks from critics over national security concerns. The government has [...]