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"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. GERMANY LAGGINGWhile several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

☆ There’s hope beyond moaning for European telcos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The annual Barcelona tech fest this week was in line with tradition, but a different mood music could also be heard beyond the bleatings of European telco executives. The good news for them is that European competition authorities seem to have been mollified by the constant pleading, and could take a softer approach to consolidation in the industry. Höttges compared the 55 billion euros invested by European telcos on infrastructure last year to the 1 billion euros invested in connectivity by those he calls the “hyperscalers”. The hope is now that, considering the European telcos’ low return on investment, European competition authorities will review their strict stance on consolidation in the sector. But European telcos also have means to address some of the problems they are facing without giving the impression that everything depends on forces beyond their control.

☆ Big Tech vs. Big Telco: Top EU official says there's no 'battle' over network funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BARCELONA — A top European Union official insisted Monday that the debate around tech giants paying for their usage of telecom networks is not sparking a "battle" between Big Tech and telcos. In it, there was a questionnaire asking whether to establish a digital fund at the EU or national level, or require a direct contribution from internet giants to the telco operators. "The consultation has been described by many as the battle over fair share between Big Telco and Big Tech. However, he insisted that there is not necessarily a "battle over fair share between Big Telco and Big Tech." WATCH: European telcos want U.S. big tech to pay for the internet — but tech giants are hitting back

☆ Dutch warn against internet toll as EU looks to Big Tech to fund networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC), Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) and other operators have long lobbied for a Big Tech contribution and have found an ally in Breton, a former chief executive at Orange. These companies account for more than half of data internet traffic, according to telecom operators. Adriaansens said the Dutch government had commissioned a study by economic consultancy Oxera which showed the drawbacks of such a tax. "I think that there is this concern that our infrastructure is not able to meet our expectations and our ambitions. According to Oxera's study, Europe's telecoms providers have not been burdened with higher network costs despite the strong growth in internet data traffic.

☆ EU industry chief Breton says not favouring Big Telecoms over Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Monday defended a consultation on whether Big Tech should foot the bill for billions of euros of investments in Europe's telecoms infrastructure, saying it was not about putting Big Telecoms' interests above tech companies. Still, Breton took a swipe at the big U.S. tech companies with their large-scale data centres, their cloud-based radio access network (RAN) - the radio element of a cellular system - and their closed ecosystems. "And interoperability or openness are not currently a strong feature of their business model." "I see these two issues as currently holding back our collective potential compared to other continents," Breton said. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BARCELONA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A clash between Big Tech and European Union telecoms firms over who will underwrite network infrastructure is set to dominate discussion at the world's largest telecoms conference this week. More than 80,000 people, including tech executives, innovators, and regulators, are set to descend on this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Thursday launched a 12-week consultation on its "fair share" proposals, under which Big Tech platforms would bear more of the costs of the systems which give them access to consumers. By contrast, Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) have been actively lobbying for Big Tech to pay the fees. "This discussion around 'fair share', or what we sometimes call the 'investment gap', is going to be a threshold question," said John Giusti, GSMA's chief regulatory officer.

☆ Telekom reports Q4 growth, forecasts slightly higher earnings in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom's (DTEGn.DE) fourth-quarter earnings came in slightly above consensus on Thursday as the German telecomms operator issued guidance for slightly higher earnings this year. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation after leases (EBITDA AL) stood at 9.96 billion euros ($10.58 billion) for the quarter, beating consensus estimates of 9.9 billion euros in a poll of analysts published by the company. The telecoms operator's quarterly revenue increased by 4.0% to 29.8 billion euros, below consensus estimates of 30.0 billion euros. For the full year 2022, Telekom reported revenue of 114.4 billion euros, up 6.1% from the previous year, and EBITDA AL of 40.2 billion euros, up 7.7%. The group said it now expected adjusted EBITDA AL of more than 40.8 billion euros in the 2023 financial year.

☆ EU eyes Big Tech as it seeks feedback on who should pay network costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Big Tech in turn calls it an internet tax that will undermine EU network neutrality rules to treat all users equally. Tech and telecoms companies will be asked to respond to 60 questions. The Commission is likely to propose legislation after the consultation, which will need to be agreed with EU countries and EU lawmakers before it can become law. The questionnaire also asked whether the EU should create a continental or digital levy or fund. "Europeans already pay telecom operators for internet access, they should not have to pay telcos a second time through pricier streaming and cloud services," Christian Borggreen, CCIA Europe's senior vice president, said in a statement.

☆ OTE raises dividend, sticks to fast network investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTE, majority owned and managed by Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), will pay a dividend of 0.5765 euros per share, up 3.3% on a year earlier. Total return to shareholders, including a share buyback scheme, will come in at 425 million euros, it said. Under a revised policy beginning in 2023, OTE planned to distribute to its shareholders between 70% and 100% of free cash flow every year, providing macroeconomic conditions remained stable, it said. OTE expected free cash flow of about 500 million euros this year. Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CTIL is attracting interest from pension funds including Britain's largest, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which has started preliminary work on a potential offer, two of the sources said. Telefonica, Liberty Global and USS declined to comment. A number of telecom towers deals in Europe have seen infrastructure investors compete for a slice of the continent’s largest towers networks partly because of their stable cash yield and long-term contracts. Vodafone (VOD.L) owns 50% of CTIL through its Frankfurt-based subsidiary Vantage Towers (VTWRn.DE), and is not planning to cut its holding, the people said. Telefonica and Liberty Global do not plan to ask Vantage Towers to bid for the holding for competitive reasons, according to the sources.

☆ European telecoms' advertising venture against Big Tech wins EU antitrust nod
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A man carrying his computer passes by the logo of German telecommunication company "Deutsche Telekom" at the ITS World Congress 2021, a fair for intelligent transport systems, in Hamburg, Germany, October 13, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Vodafone (VOD.L) on Friday secured unconditional EU antitrust approval for their advertising joint venture to take on Big Tech. "The transaction, as notified, would not significantly reduce competition in French, German, Italian and Spanish markets," the European Commission said in a statement. This is the telecoms sector's first attempt to take on Meta (META.O) and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google in the lucrative online advertising sector and diversify their revenue streams. Google is the world's leading seller of online advertising, well ahead of Meta, with the business generating about 80% of its revenue.

☆ How companies are trying to help victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Companies around the world are racing to provide help to the victims of the devastating earthquake straddling Turkey and Syria, by donating food, medicines, services and cash. Hamdi Ulukaya has donated $1 million to an earthquake relief fund set up by Turkish Philanthropy Funds, the US-based donor organization has said. please donate to @tphilanthropy earthquake relief and recovery efforts. The aid organization is working to help people in Turkey and Syria affected by the quake. Aid agencies are particularly worried about victims in northwestern Syria, where more than 4 million people were already relying on humanitarian assistance.

☆ Exclusive: European telecoms' advertising venture set for EU approval -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Vodafone's (VOD.L) plan to take on Big Tech with their own advertising joint venture is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval, people familiar with the matter said. The joint venture marks the telecoms sector's first attempt to take on Meta (META.O) and Alphabet'S (GOOGL.O) Google in the lucrative online advertising sector and diversify their revenue streams. Google is the world's leading seller of online advertising, well ahead of Meta, with the business generating about 80% of its revenue. The EU competition enforcer describes the joint venture as a privacy-led, digital identification solution to support the digital marketing and advertising activities of brands and publishers. Earlier this week, pan-European consumer lobbying group BEUC voiced concerns over how data would be collected by the joint venture and how the partners aim to get users' consent.

☆ Exclusive: EU may miss gigabit target, more investments needed, telecoms group says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Total telecom investment in Europe peaked at 56.3 billion euros in 2021, the highest since 2016, but still lagged behind other regions, the report said. "Europe continues to trail its peers worldwide in terms of telecoms investment. The study also noted the large gap between the returns on investment for telecoms operators and those for Big Tech. "There is an acute discrepancy between the returns on investment in European telecoms infrastructure and the returns on investment of the largest services that run over this infrastructure," it said. "When it comes to internet access, it is telecoms operators that shoulder the investment burden, while in terms of new value creation it is tech companies that benefit the most."

☆ EU wants to cut red tape, costs to spur rollout of 5G - document
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The European Commission wants to cut red tape and costs to help Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) and other telecoms operators roll out fast-speed 5G, according to a Commission document seen by Reuters. The EU executive, which wants all Europeans to have access to gigabit connectivity and 75% of EU companies to use cloud infrastructure or artificial intelligence technology by 2030, is expected to announce its proposal, called the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, on Feb. 10. The measure could save telecoms operators about 40 million euros ($43.5 million) in annual administrative costs, the paper said. The measure also says telecoms providers can access physical infrastructure owned or controlled by public sector bodies irrespective of its location under fair and reasonable terms. ($1 = 0.9193 euros)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysts love these stocks that are flush with cash — giving one over 75% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We prefer companies generating cash rather than those that need capital to grow. The higher the free cash flow yield, the better a company's position to meet its debt obligations. A company with a high free cash flow is also able to access cash more quickly in the event of an emergency or opportunity. Using FactSet data, CNBC Pro screened for stocks that boast lots of cash and could be well positioned for a rocky year. U.S.-listed Chesapeake Energy Corporation was the only energy stock to appear on the screen, with its free cash flow yield at nearly 14%.

☆ Exclusive: EU wants details of Big Tech, telcos investment plans - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The European Commission wants to ask Big Tech and European Union telecoms providers about their investment outlays and cloud infrastructure plans before tabling legislation that could make the former pay for network costs, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Commission plans to launch a public consultation with a lengthy questionnaire next week, although the timing may still change, the person said. It will likely last about 12 weeks before the Commission drafts legislation that EU countries and EU lawmakers will need to thrash out before it can become law. The Commission will ask Big Tech and telecoms what they are investing in, how this will evolve and whether there is an investment gap, the person said. Regulators also want to know about the relationship between Big Tech and telecoms providers.

☆ These low-volatility stocks beat the market last year — and analysts see further upside in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As market pros warn investors of bumpy times ahead , CNBC Pro used FactSet data to screen for low-volatility stocks that not only beat the market in 2022 but are expected to rise further this year. "Beta" is a measurement of a stock's volatility ; a beta of 1 means that a stock's volatility is equal to the market, whereas a beta below 1 means that stock is less volatile than the market. Its largest shareholder Deutsche Telekom made the list too, with the company given average upside of 34.5%. Fertilizer Stocks Fertilizer stocks Nutrien and Corteva made the screen too. Some 54% of analysts covering the stock still rate it a buy, however, with consensus estimates give the stock average upside of 38.6%

☆ Germany ups reliance on Huawei for 5G despite security fears -survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sarah Marsh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many European countries have banned Chinese companies from all or part of their 5G networks on security grounds, amid intense diplomatic pressure from the United States. Germany, home to operators like Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) and O2 (O2Dn.DE), passed an IT security law two years ago setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for the "critical components" of 5G networks. The German network agency referred Reuters to regulation that shows differentiated treatment for core and RAN components. The information security office did not reply to a request for comment on whether the high share of Chinese components could pose a security threat. A strategy paper by Germany's Greens-run economy ministry has recommended increased scrutiny of components from authoritarian states in critical infrastructure.

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Morocco on the verge of history against Portugal as Kylian Mbappé’s France face England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Moroccans have become the darlings of the World Cup. At the first “Arab” World Cup, they became the first Arab nation to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup and, as the first African side to qualify for the quarterfinals in over a decade, they represent so much more than just their own nation. Born in Madrid, Achraf Hakimi scored the goal to knock Spain out of the World Cup. No team has scored more than Portugal’s 12 at the World Cup, but will the unstoppable Portugal be able to beat the immovable Morocco? Mbappé has already surpassed Cristiano Ronalo's World Cup goal scoring record and is level with Lionel Messi on nine.

☆ Kylian Mbappé is reaching speeds of 22 miles per hour at the World Cup. Can anyone stop him?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ahead of its World Cup quarterfinal against France, England has a problem to solve. But the 23-year-old has showcased more than just clinical finishing at the World Cup, terrorizing opponents with his phenomenal speed and ability to get behind the defensive line. “I do understand what I need to do and that’s obviously to stop him,” Walker told reporters this week. It will be an intriguing encounter at the Al Bayt Stadium, pitting two of the World Cup highest-scoring teams against each other. I’m sure he’s going to be the best midfielder in the world.”With some of the best players of the tournament going toe-to-toe, this quarterfinal has all the ingredients of a World Cup classic.

☆ Argentina vs Netherlands: 'Aging genius' Lionel Messi looking to inspire La Celeste
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Lionel Messi and Argentina are three games away from winning the World Cup, but against the Netherlands they will face their toughest test of the tournament so far. Friday’s quarterfinal at the Lusail Stadium is a compelling match-up, not least because of the World Cup history between the two teams. With three goals – including a superb strike against Mexico and a well-worked move against Australia – and one assist from four games, Messi is the heartbeat of this Argentina team, even in the twilight of his career. “You can see he’s happy and, for us, that’s very important.”Yet this Argentina team is more than just Messi. “It’s not about me, or the Netherlands, against Messi, it’s about the Netherlands against Argentina,” the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters this week, according to Reuters.

☆ Croatia vs Brazil: Vatreni have 'nothing to fear' ahead of quarterfinal clash against 'terrifying' Seleçao, says head coach
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I try to adapt to the characteristics of the players,” Tite told reporters after the match, according to Reuters. “Sure, some love to complain when they see other people’s happiness and we Brazilians are a joyful people, so it will always bother,” Vinícius told reporters, per Reuters. Croatia has a remarkable recent record in World Cup knockout matches. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images“Brazil is the favorite, let’s face it,” Dalić told reporters, per Reuters. “Brazil is the most powerful and the best national team at the World Cup.

☆ World Cup Round of 16: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal face Switzerland for a place in the quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Switzerland, meanwhile, navigated a difficult group with victories against Cameroon and Serbia seeing them through to the knockout stages despite a loss to Brazil. The last time the two sides met was in the Nations League in June when Portugal dismantled Switzerland 4-0 in Lisbon. Switzerland celebrates defeating Serbia 3-2 and qualifying for the knockout stages. Like Portugal, Spain is entering its round of 16 match against Morocco immediately after a shock defeat to an Asian nation – a 2-1 loss to Japan – in the group stages. “We said we wanted to give everything we’ve got to get out of the group stages,” said Regragui, according to the Guardian.

☆ Japan vs. Croatia: Samurai Blue aiming to reach World Cup quarterfinals for first time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

CNN —In a World Cup of surprises, Japan has played a leading role in headline-making shock results. Croatia is a team undefeated in nine of its last 10 World Cup matches. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament.

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