New Telefonica chairman begins to remould exec board with new COO | Total Telecom

Fuelled by a newly refreshed Board of Directors, Telefonica’s incoming chairman Marc Murtra is wasting no time in reshaping the company from the top down.

Telefonica has this week announced a major executive reshuffle, marking the start of a new strategic direction with chairman Marc Murtra at the helm.

The first and most significant change is the promotion of Telefonica Spain CEO Emilio Gayo to the role of Group COO and executive director. In this role, he will oversee the Group’s operations in in Spain, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as the B2B, Telefónica Tech, Telefónica Infra and gCTIO business units.

Gayo, who has worked at Telefonica in various roles for the past two decades, replaces outgoing COO Ángel Vilá.

Vilá will remain on the board of Virgin Media O2 in the UK and is being proposed for a board position at Telefonica Germany.

In addition to the new COO, Murtra is also leaning on ex-colleagues from his previous employer, defence firm Indra, to fill strategic positions.

Borja Ochoa, previously general director of defence and security at Indra, will replace Gayo at the head of Telefonica Spain, while the CEO of Telefonica Tech, José Cerdán, will also be replaced by an Indra alumnus, Sofía Collado.

Finally, there will also be a change of chief digital officer, with Sebas Muriel replacing Chema Alonso, who has held the role for the past 13 years.

The scale and speed of this reshuffle is worth noting. New chairman Murtra took over the position from José María Álvarez-Pallete after the latter’s surprise ousting in January. Murtra’s appointment was largely seen as relating to the Spanish government’s increasing sensitivity over Telefonica’s future, with the state having grown its stake in the business to counterbalance foreign investment from the likes of the UAE’s e&.

Since taking over the role six weeks ago, Spanish media has reported that Murtra has been dissatisfied with Vilá, with his replacement seen as the first step in a major restructure that will likely include changes to several more leadership positions.

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter

Also in the news:
EY launches suite of AI agents for telcos
Discussing the fate of the BEAD Program with Dr. Nathan Smith
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Becomes First Mobile Operator in Southeast Asia to Deploy AI-RAN with Nokia and NVIDIA

Lightpath Acquires WANRack’s Phoenix Business | Total Telecom

New York – March 4, 2025, Lightpath, an all fiber, infrastructure based connectivity provider revolutionizing how organizations connect to their digital destinations, announced the company has completed the acquisition of WANRack’s network assets and customers in the Phoenix metropolitan market. This acquisition adds 133 route miles of fiber, including diverse paths between the Goodyear data center ecosystem and metro Phoenix carrier hotel facilities, accelerating Lightpath’s service readiness and expansion in the region.

In conjunction with Lightpath’s recent Phoenix market entry announcement, the integration of WANRack’s assets increases Lightpath’s total network footprint in the market to 363 route miles. Upon construction completion, this infrastructure will connect 10 key data centers via underground, multi-duct conduit systems, linking emerging data center hubs in Goodyear, Buckeye, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, and Tempe to Phoenix’s primary carrier exchange ecosystems.

Beyond the 10 planned connected data centers, the network will be strategically positioned near more than 30 additional single and multi-tenant data center campuses. While Lightpath is already service ready on 133 miles of acquired fiber, additional high priority network segments will be constructed in Q2 2025, with full network completion targeted by the end of 2026.

View a Map of Lightpath’s Phoenix Network

“WANRack’s Phoenix business is a perfect fit with Lightpath’s recent market entry and provided a solution for solving our strategic customer’s near-term requirements,” explained Rachel Stack, CFO, Lightpath. “This transaction demonstrates our creative problem solving and commitment to innovative solutions in response to customer challenges.”

“Phoenix represents a strategic and growing market for Lightpath as we look to provide critical fiber infrastructure to customers with intensive bandwidth requirements”, stated Tim Haverkate, EVP, Major Infrastructure Solutions, Lightpath. “We look forward to partnering with WANRack’s customers to serve their growing connectivity needs and expanding Lightpath’s fiber infrastructure and customer relationships across Phoenix.”

About Lightpath:

Lightpath is revolutionizing how customers connect to their digital destinations by combining our next-generation network with our next-generation customer service. Lightpath’s advanced fiber-optic network offers a comprehensive portfolio of custom-engineered connectivity solutions with unparalleled performance, reliability, and security. Our consultative customer service means we work with you to design, deliver, and support the solution for your unique needs, faster and more easily than ever before. For over 30 years, thousands of enterprises, governments, and educators have trusted Lightpath to power their organization’s innovation. Lightpath is jointly owned by Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners.

Follow Lightpath on LinkedIn. For more information, please visit lightpathfiber.com.

For Lightpath Media Inquiries:

JSA for Lightpath

1-866-695-3629

jsa_lightpath@jsa.net

Zain KSA Completes Major Digital Transformation Program in Collaboration With Netcracker | Total Telecom

WALTHAM, MA and RIYADH, KSA — March 4, 2025 — Zain KSA announced today that it has completed a large-scale digital transformation program with Netcracker Technology. The complex BSS/OSS transformation across all lines of business was successfully achieved in less than three years.

With the new cloud-based BSS/OSS in place, Zain KSA will further enhance customer experiences and scale up its business ecosystem and expansion across adjacent markets, including fintech, IoT and cloud computing services. The transformation also supports enhanced operational efficiencies, demonstrated through a 50 percent decrease in product development time and customer line activation time.

Zain KSA partnered with Netcracker on a comprehensive, full-stack, AI-driven IT transformation based on Netcracker Digital Platform, the foundation for a cloud-native digital BSS and OSS, as well as Netcracker’s comprehensive suite of managed services. The project included replacing Zain KSA’s existing IT stack and migrating customers to the new cloud-based systems.

Executive VP of Information Technology at Zain KSA, Eng. Maha Al Qernas, stated: “Transitioning into a cloud-based BSS/OSS is a new milestone for Zain KSA’s advanced digital ecosystem. This transformation, achieved through our strategic partnership with Netcracker, aligns with Zain KSA’s goal to create fully digital journeys for our individual and enterprise customers. We are proud that we have leveraged the market’s demand for 5G standalone technology. Our cloud-based systems support a broad range of innovative use cases, enriching our capabilities in 5G, and setting a new benchmark in connectivity and enabling transformative experiences for customers across the Kingdom and beyond to continue to empower a tech-enhanced quality of life in Saudi Arabia.”

“We are extremely honored to play a role in this significant transformation program with a leader in the 5G space and a disruptor in the market,” said Benedetto Spaziani, GM at Netcracker. “Zain KSA has been at the forefront of adopting new technologies and bringing innovative services to customers, and we look forward to being part of its ongoing success.”

Zain KSA started updating its BSS/OSS systems in late 2021. The initiative aims to enhance customer experiences and improve cybersecurity, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 and the nationwide digital transformation.

About Netcracker Technology
Netcracker Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has the expertise, culture and resources to help service providers around the world transform their businesses to thrive in the digital economy. Our innovative solutions, value-driven services and unbroken delivery track record have enabled our customers to grow and succeed for more than three decades. With the latest technological advancements in key areas including 5G monetization, AI, automation and vertical industries, we help service providers to reach their transformation goals, advance their telco to techco evolution and realize business growth and profitability. To learn more, visit www.netcracker.com.

Media Contact

Anita Karvé
Netcracker Technology
MediaGroup@Netcracker.com

SHiFT Bring Together UK Full Fibre Operators to Improve Health and Safety | ISPreview UK

The SHiFT Group (Safety & Health in Fibre Telecoms), which was setup a few years ago to help improve health and safety practices and standards across the UK’s fibre broadband industry, has informed ISPreview that they will once again be bringing network operators together at a conference on 2^nd April 2025 – at the Heart of England Events and conferencing centre.

Last year SHiFT had around 300 people from over 180 companies attend the event. This year they have the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) coming along to talk about the increased focus that they are placing on Health and Welling and preventing work related ill health.

NOTE: Founding members of SHIFT include CityFibre, Fibrus, Freedom Fibre, FullFibre, F&W Networks, Gigaclear, Lightspeed Broadband, Lit Fibre, Openreach, toob, Virgin Media (O2), Vodafone and Vorboss. But many more alternative networks have since joined.

So the aim of the conference is to increase the awareness and importance of managing health and wellbeing across the fibre telecoms industry, and they have a number of guest speakers lined up to talk about managing stress, manual handling, monitoring air quality as well as other important safety issues impacting the industry at the moment – working at height, artificial intelligence etc.

Any industry figures interested in attending can Register Here.

Customers of Broadband ISP Lit Fibre Gain Access to CityFibre’s UK Network | ISPreview UK

As expected following last year’s merger agreement, broadband ISP Lit Fibre has today announced that customers of their service now have access to take packages over CityFibre’s national full fibre (FTTP) network too, which is currently available to over 4.3 million UK premises (4.1m RFS).

In case anybody has forgotten. Lit Fibre, which pre-acquisition had a retail broadband base of around 10,000 customers, previously built their own vertically integrated Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to around 300,000 premises across parts of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Worcestershire, Essex and Suffolk.

However, both Lit Fibre’s network and customer base were all acquired by CityFibre during early 2024 (here), which was followed in November 2024 by an agreement to sell the retail side of the business to Lit’s original co-founders, Tom Williams and Ben Bresler (here). This resolved an awkward problem for CityFibre, which is a wholesale-only operator and was thus only really interested in holding on to Lit’s network infrastructure.

Lit Fibre’s original FTTP network has since been fully integrated into CityFibre’s, although until now the ISP’s customers have only had access to the side of the network that Lit itself built. But the good news is that customers looking to sign-up with Lit Fibre today can now do so across CityFibre’s entire UK network, which offers broadband speeds of up to 2-2.5Gbps.

Tom Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Lit Fibre, said:

“Our new partnership with CityFibre is a major milestone in making Lit Fibre’s industry-leading internet service available to even more homes across the UK. We’re committed to transforming connectivity to enable frustration-free internet experiences with the reliability and human support that customers deserve.”

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said:

“CityFibre’s full-fibre network reaches over 4.3 million premises today and we continue to expand, meaning CityFibre’s ISP partners can make the most of unbeatable products, pricing and service and offer a fantastic experience to millions of households throughout the UK. The team at Lit Fibre have a passion for the business that’s second to none, and we’re excited to see what lies ahead as Lit Fibre grows its reach and makes the most of CityFibre’s next-generation XGS-PON network.”

Customers of the service can expect to pay from £35.99 per month on a 24-month term for symmetric speeds of 100Mbps (inc. free installation and a pledge of no mid-contract price hikes), which rises to £42.99 per month for their top 1Gbps tier. At the time of writing, it doesn’t appear as if Lit Fibre are offering any of CityFibre’s faster 2Gbps+ tiers, yet.

Broadband ISP Connect Fibre Add Wi-Fi 7 At No Extra Cost for UK Homes | ISPreview UK

Alternative broadband operator and UK ISP Connect Fibre, which aimed to cover 100,000 premises across the East of England with their gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) network, has this morning announced the launch of Wi-Fi 7 capable routers “across all its contracted fibre broadband packages” and at “no additional cost“. But that’s not the only change.

As well as adding Wi-Fi 7 capable hardware, Connect Fibre has also refreshed their broadband packages in other ways. For example, the provider has upgraded its entry-level package to offer speeds of 250Mbps (symmetric) at the same price (£25 per month on a 24-month contract) as its previous 150Mbps tier, with their premium package now achieving speeds of 2000Mbps (2Gbps) for £55 per month.

NOTE: Customers can now opt for either a 24-month or 12-month minimum term, which compares with their previous 18-month terms.

The press release itself didn’t include any details on the new Wi-Fi 7 kit, although they did preview their plan to introduce co-branded Wi-Fi 7 routers from TP-Link to customers late last year (here). The packages will thus bundle the new co-branded HB610 and HB810 routers, which they said would deliver wireless “speeds of up to 4.8x faster and improved network capacity 5x versus previous Wi-Fi 6” (although real-world experiences over WiFi will always vary).

Otherwise, Connect Fibre, which is backed by investment from the Foresight Group (here), is currently rolling out their new open access (wholesale) full fibre network – using ADTRAN’s XGS-PON technology – across various locations in Essex, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Cambridgeshire.

Stefan Stanislawski, CEO of Connect Fibre, said:

“The launch of Wi-Fi 7 is a game-changer, and we’re proud to be leading the charge in bringing this cutting-edge technology to our customers. At Connect Fibre, innovation and customer experience are at the heart of everything we do. We believe everyone should have access to the best possible connectivity without barriers or premium pricing. With Wi-Fi 7, we’re not just keeping up with the future – we’re shaping it.”

Last year’s announcement also pledged to launch a new Wi-Fi 7 Connect Mesh add-on service powered by TP-Link’s HB210 Pro mesh node, which they said would offer the “UK’s best Wi-Fi mesh guarantee” of 120Mbps seamless, uninterrupted connectivity in every room (EE does get close to this with 100Mbps on their top package).

NOTE: In theory, Wi-Fi 7 can achieve theoretical peak data speeds of up to around 40-46Gbps (Gigabits per second) within your local network, but real-world experiences will fall considerably below that (real-world peaks of 5-6Gbps are more realistic and this will vary between devices and locations).

UPDATE 8:49am

The routers used will be the HB610 on the Fibre 250, Fibre 500 and Fibre 1000 packages, with the high-end HB810 being used for Fibre 2000 and above. For their mesh systems, the first puck will be a HB610 on all plans and any further mesh nodes being HB210.

Virgin Media UK Add 2 New FAST TV Channels to Service for Free | ISPreview UK

Customers of broadband ISP Virgin Media (O2), specifically those who take Pay TV services via one of the provider’s TV 360, Stream or v6 box platforms, may like to know that the company has just added two new FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels to its TV service “at no extra cost“.

The new FAST channels include Wonder (Ch 238 – A Little Dot Studios Channel), which covers “groundbreaking engineering, innovative technology, and scientific exploration“, and Red Bull TV (Ch 556), which covers related fields of “motorsport, biking, snowboarding, and more“.

NOTE: Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels are special dedicated channels that tend to only offer content and schedules based on either a single TV show or theme.

The new channels join the existing 32 FAST channels available on Virgin TV. David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at VMO2, said: “We’re always looking to offer Virgin TV customers the best entertainment, so we’ve added two more action packed streaming channels for them to tune in to and enjoy.”

Freedom Fibre Drops Out of Project Gigabit Broadband Contract for Cheshire UK | ISPreview UK

The Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency has just unexpectedly announced that alternative network provider Freedom Fibre has “mutually agreed to terminate” the £43m (state aid) Project Gigabit broadband roll-out contract for Cheshire (Lot 17), which would have expanded a full fibre (FTTP) network to 15,000 premises in hard to reach areas.

The contract, which was formally announced in May 2024 (here), would have seen Freedom Fibre expand their gigabit broadband network across large areas of rural Cheshire, including several remote villages, such as Kingswood, Allostock, Minshull Vernon and beyond. The building work on this was originally expected to commence during “early 2025“, but that will no longer happen.

NOTE: Backed by investment from InfraBridge (DigitalBridge) and Equitix. Freedom Fibre’s network already covers 315,000 UK premises across parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Shropshire in England, as well as North Wales.

However, in a brief statement released by BDUK a few moments ago, a spokesperson for the agency said: “BDUK and Freedom Fibre have mutually agreed to terminate the Project Gigabit contract for Cheshire. BDUK is now moving swiftly to put in place alternative plans with other suppliers to connect premises that were due to be connected. Freedom Fibre has not received any public funding for this contract.”

At the time of writing we don’t yet know why this has occurred (we’ll be seeking a comment from FF), although the development follows only a few short months after another network operator, Voneus, similarly dropped out of the smaller £12m (state aid) Project Gigabit broadband roll-out contract for Mid West Shropshire (here). Smaller altnets are currently known to be under a lot of strain from high interest rates, rising build costs and competition.

UPDATE 10:06am

We’ve managed to get a comment from Freedom Fibre.

A Freedom Fibre spokesperson said:

“Stepping away from the Cheshire Gigabit project before the build phase was a difficult decision, made after careful consideration. While we are disappointed that we should not proceed with the project, this decision enables us to focus on delivering high-quality fibre infrastructure in our priority areas. We remain committed to expanding full-fibre connectivity to communities and will continue working closely with our partners to bridge the digital divide.”

Sparkle and Turkcell sign subsea cable MoU | Total Telecom

The MoU was signed during this year’s MWC Barcelona

Sparkle and Turkcell have announced a new partnership to develop a subsea cable in the Mediterranean. This week, at MWC Barcelona, the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a 4,000 km subsea cable linking Turkey and Europe. The cable will connect Izmir, Turkey, to Chania, Greece, with a design capable of handling more than 25 terabits per second (Tbps) per fibre pair.

It will also extend to Milan, Italy, through Sparkle’s BlueMed Cable System, improving connectivity between Turkey and key European hubs.

This project aims to strengthen the region’s internet infrastructure by providing a more diverse and resilient route for data to travel. It combines Sparkle’s expertise in global subsea systems with Turkcell’s established presence in Turkey, creating a high-quality network to meet the increasing demand for bandwidth and faster internet speeds. As data traffic continues to rise, the new subsea cable will help address these needs.

“Thanks to a unique low-latency path between Izmir and Chania, integrated with BlueMed, we create a new alternative digital corridor for communications between Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This collaboration is also part of the development of our GreenMed project which will further stimulate digital acceleration throughout the region and beyond,” said Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle in a press release.

“This subsea cable solution, with its impressive capacity between Izmir and Chania and a total distance of 4,000 km, offers a promising alternative route to the existing ones, enhancing geographical redundancy and ensuring that the international data connection remains uninterrupted even in the event of disruptions along traditional paths,” said Dr. Ali Taha Koç, CEO of Turkcell.

“This project not only strengthens the resilience of global data infrastructure but also provides a robust option for hyperscalers and content providers seeking reliable and secure connectivity between the East and the West. In a world where the demand for seamless, high-capacity internet connectivity is ever-growing, this project plays a crucial role in reinforcing the stability of international communications,” he continued.

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter

Also in the news:
Vodafone and AST spacemobile launch European satellite broadband compan
Discussing the fate of the BEAD Program with Dr. Nathan Smith
Verizon business partners with Singtel and Skylo on IoT

How to maximise 5G network value in the AI era | Total Telecom

The evolution of mobile networks will transform how people connect, work, and interact with technology. At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, Huawei’s Corporate Senior Vice President and President of lCT Sales & Service, Li Peng highlighted the role of 5G advancements in improving the user experiences and creating new business opportunities, in his keynote speech

“We’re rapidly entering a fully intelligent world. Intelligent applications are spreading everywhere, placing new demands on networks,” said Li. “By embracing and evolving 5G, we can unlock the infinite potential of mobile networks. Huawei is willing and ready to work with carriers and industry partners around the world to promote digital enablement, reinforce network foundations, and bring AI to all. Together, we can shape the D.N.A for an intelligent world.”

Improving mobile networks

Li emphasised how the way people interact with technology is changing. With the rise of voice assistants, cloud-based applications, and smart services, mobile networks must offer faster speeds and lower latency. As mobile experiences become more interactive (such as AI-powered voice and visual assistants) networks also must evolve to meet these increased demands.

To be able to do this, networks need to transition from 5G NSA (non-standalone) to 5G SA (standalone) and eventually to 5G-A. Key technologies like Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS), which separates control and user data traffic to improve network efficiency, and Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR), which ensures a minimum data rate for specific services, will be essential to improving network responsiveness and efficiency.

Managing increased network traffic

Li also discussed the rapid growth of digital content production and distribution. As high-quality videos and interactive media become more widely used, mobile data usage is expected to rise to an “unprecedented” level, again highlighting the need for more spectrum, more network capacity, and greater upload and download bandwidth.

Expanding coverage for smart devices and IoT

As smart devices and cloud services become more widespread, the demand for fast, reliable network coverage continues to grow. By 2030, over a billion people are expected to rely on cloud-based services, which will require seamless access to data and applications. Additionally, smart vehicles and other IoT devices will need continuous network coverage across cities, highways, and rural areas. Carriers will need to continue expanding 5G networks to provide the coverage necessary for these increased needs.

Improving network management with smarter operations

With networks becoming more complex, Li emphasised the importance of smarter operations and maintenance (O&M) systems. Many carriers are already using AI-powered tools to enhance efficiency, predict network issues, reduce downtime, and optimise network traffic in real time. By making these improvements, carriers can provide better service reliability and faster response times, ensuring a more seamless and consistent mobile experience. Some carriers who are already using AI agents, and those with self-learning capabilities can increase troubleshooting efficiency by 30%, by predicting and locating faults in just a few seconds.

New business opportunities

Li also highlighted how carriers can explore new ways to generate revenue. By offering premium services based on network speed, reliability, and custom features, telecom operators can cater to different customer groups. In China for example, telcos have partnered with industries like insurance and hospitality to offer new communication services through Open APIs, leading to increased revenue growth from business clients.

Li predicted that the combination of 5G-A and AI technologies could lead to double-digit growth in Data of Usage (DOU) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), creating big opportunities for carriers to monetise their networks.

“The opportunities are huge,” concluded Li. “And the time to act is now. Pioneers are already scaling up fast in over 200 cities around the world. They’re taking solid steps forward, unlocking incredible new value.”