Re: VM General News Thread
 

8.8% plus the 3.9% CPI. Thats what sky news said this morning

Re: VM General News Thread
 

In which case, Sky are also wrong. It's January RPI + 3.9%.
https://www.virginmedia.com/help/prices

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It's 8.8% according to sky news Web site five minutes ago

Re: VM General News Thread
 

On the altnets, I reckon Vodafone will gobble them up. But then you'll say, didn't I say that all of those on that list will have a mobile co, which clearly Sky don't have and indeed I did.

I don't believe VM in its current form is long for this world and baring in mind what Sky's owner's main business is, I think the direction is clear. And yes, I know about the regulators, but something will happen.

So, who will the list be, hard to tell. We need to know what is going to happen with BT first. Whether the Germans make their move or Patrick Draghi. But I would say, as shown by the AT&T Warner demerger, do not assume that the current combinations of media and telecoms will last.

So, in terms of networks, (not consumer services) I reckon something like this:

BT/EE networks. (Deutsche Telekom/Patrick Draghi likely buyers)
VM cable network (Comcast) and O2
Vodafone with altnets

---------- Post added at 20:31 ---------- Previous post was at 20:15 ----------

And by the way, I think three separate networks is ridiculous anyway and something I lobbied against many years, not that anyone paid any notice.

For the last three months, every time I walk outside my home, someone is digging up the roads and/or up telegraph poles installing fibre equipment. Different companies... What a waste of bloody money.

There should've just been one network, run by a network operator (call it Netcom..) and lease out the capacity to various companies to offer consumer services. But hey, that boat has sailed long ago.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Sky isn’t an Altnet. You said that there would be 3no. Companies left. So that would be BT, VM & VF then?

*** Edit: acknowledge you answer that below.***

Vodafone is going to buy CF and all the other altnets? Vodafone that currently doesn’t have any access infrastructure whatsoever is going to buy and integrate dozens of altnets?

I don’t think so.

what form do you think it will be?

By VM (Comcast) are suggesting that Comcast is going to buy Liberty Global?

On the contrary, 3 networks …works. But no more than that and certainly not the current situation where you have several altnets overbuilding each other.

And buying altnets is not that simple, precisely because they’re over building each other. You could, for example, purchase Grain Connect and G.Network but then let’s say Grain and G.N have overbuilt each other by 50%, that 50% of dead network you don’t need!

Altnet consolidation is a very different beast to the CATV of the 90’s, the CATV companies neve overbuilt each other.

100% agree.

You could have done that, or the Gov could have sold franchises (a bit more difficult than in the 90’s), or there could have been a law that no more that 3 operators in one footprint.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I agree. I think there's space for the altnets in a few large cities but otherwise the altnets are ripe for Nexfibre to pick them off one by one.

Vodafone is not in acquisition mode nor does it have broadband infrastructure intentions in the UK. Its key objectives at the moment are to merge its businesses in Italy and the UK with competitors to increase its profitability.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Pierre,

On Vodafone, it already has nationwide fibre infrastructure linking all their masts together. Whether they want to buy the altnets at the moment, who knows. But looking at their competitors, they are the only mobile co without an existing consumer landline network. I don't believe they will remain a standalone mobile co forever.

On VM, it's already got this offshoot company installing fibre all over the place. At some point I reckon VM will fully split into two companies (which already now exist) one being a consumer facing co and one a network company, including the 02 stuff.

On Comcast, no, I don't think Comcast will buy Liberty. Not now. Perhaps a few years ago, but not now. Liberty is clearly being wound down, so I reckon Comcast might bid for the network part of what we currently call VM.

And further, I don't think Comcast and Sky will be part of the same company.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Vodafone do have an extensive fibre backbone network, they could go for City Fibre with whom they already have a relationship (which has it's own backbone that it bought from Torch..so that would be a waste of money to VF) but I don't see them picking off all the individual Altnets. Maybe City Fibre first, and then several other Altnets, might work. otherwise I don't see it happening, and it won't be cheap.

I don't see it happening but time will tell.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It all depends on who owns what and when.

If BT changes hands and becomes a predominately foreign owned company (whether the government will allow that, is another matter entirely) but if that happens, that entity will push from day one to be rid of all other operators off its network.

And the new BT may have a good case to make, because with other networks out there, BT is not the monopoly provider anymore, so it could argue that why does it have to allow access to its poles and ducts when others don't.

Comcast is and always will be a cableco, first and foremost. Yes, the bosses (like AT&Ts) are enjoying hobnobbing with Hollywood stars, but I reckon that will come to a end, especially when the tech giants make all their moves on Hollywood, as I expect they will do. So, I'm jumping ahead, but I'm asssuming that once Comcast has offloaded its media assets, it may go on the hunt for more cablecos and Virgin Media's network seems an obvious target.

With the altnets, I am 99% sure they will not stay as independent companies, for exactly the same reason why dozens of cable tv companies couldn't remain independent in the end. It's just too expensive. And as Vodafone has no landline network, it seems the obvious way to go for them. But perhaps VM might pick some of them off, who knows. Or/and perhaps Vodafone and Verizon might come back together again.

Specifically on VM, Liberty Global has already disposed of most of its assets and was always nothing more than a holding company for John Malone. He's busy with Warner and all things American and I see LG selling the remainder of its assets off to the highest bidder in the not too distant future. Doesn't have to be Comcast, it could be Charter or a Euro telecom, but I reckon our telcos, as we currently know them to be, will change hands..

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I was told in November that Verizon was said to be interested in buying all of Virgin Media O2 - but no bid was on table at the time.

https://mediaboyukblog.blogspot.com/...rizon-are.html

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I think VM02 can, I think the phrase north of the border is, 'Get Tae F.' at the end of my contract. There are cheaper out there and equally as speedy BB wise.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

There was never any talk around the water cooler that Verizon was interested in VM ;)

Re: VM General News Thread
 

👍 Spot on

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Your link to this “made up, never going to happen” story, is to your own blog.

There is no link to a verifiable independent source.

Unless I’ve missed it, in which case please point me towards it.