Trends

Meet the Cellcos Serving Rural America: Part 1

The U.S. mobile market is notoriously ultra-competitive, and household names like Sprint aren't the only ones to have been squeezed out in recent years.

Since 2020, Verizon Wireless has snapped up regional players such as Chat Mobility, Bluegrass Cellular, Triangle Mobile, and Chariton Valley Communications.

Tellingly, all four operators were participants in the telecom giant’s “LTE in Rural America” program, which leased 700MHz of spectrum to regional players in areas where Verizon had no intention of deploying infrastructure. After going live in 2010, the project was completed in October 2015, when all 21 participants were confirmed to be operational.

At the program’s peak, operators collectively covered more than 2.7 million people across 169 rural counties in 15 states.

Despite Verizon’s low-key takeover spree, dozens of smaller players continue to thrive in the U.S. This week we take a deep dive into the regional cellular scene and uncover the cellcos serving rural America.

Ukrainian Telcos: Communicating Through the Conflict

We recently took a look at Ukrainian operators and their relative positions in the country’s telecom market.

As the Russian invasion continues, we turn our attention to the efforts of Ukrainian telcos, who are attempting to keep communications online under the most difficult circumstances.

Mobile Merger Season: Examining M&A Activity Across Asia

Recent months have seen an unprecedented level of M&A activity across Asia’s mobile markets, with eye-catching deals in Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Today we examine the players reshaping the Asian telecom landscape.

Ukraine’s Telecom Market, Explained

Due to the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian operators are suffering cyberattacks and physical network damage.

Below, we take a look at who those operators are and their relative positions in the country’s telecom market.

Sanctions Start to Hit Russia’s Tech Sector

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has spurred a raft of sanctions from Western governments.

These measures are aimed at limiting Russia’s international economic activity and foreign trade.

Scandinavian Skirmishes & Baltic Battlegrounds: Reviewing Regional Rivalries

Last year we investigated how major Scandinavian telecom groups Telenor, Telia, and Tele2 have followed a similar international strategy over the past decade: divesting the bulk of their Eastern European and Asian operations to concentrate on business closer to home.

Today we examine their ongoing activities within Scandinavia and the Baltic States and inspect how 5G and M&A continue to drive their respective strategies.

Iliad Takes the Fight to Italy's Broadband Market

French-owned telecom group Iliad has begun the next phase of its expansion in Italy, moving into the country’s fixed broadband sector with a potentially game-changing service launch.

Meet the Acquisition-Hungry ICT Firm Gobbling Up Telcos Across Eastern Europe

The telecom landscape in Eastern Europe has changed dramatically over the last decade, with sustained deal-making reshaping a number of markets across the region.

The latest player to jump aboard the M&A merry-go-round is 4iG, an ICT firm based in Budapest. Today, we take a look at the company’s key takeover deals to date.

Greece Lightning: Greek Plans for Broadband Expansion

In December, Greece's OTE Group announced a major broadband investment plan. The group revealed that its domestic telco unit Cosmote would be pumping €3 billion ($3.4 billion) into the expansion of its infrastructure between 2022 and 2027.

The investment was backed by OTE Group’s controlling shareholder Deutsche Telekom.

Fresh Blood: Meet The Newcomers Who Acquired 5G Spectrum in Brazil

Brazil’s long-awaited 5G spectrum auction drew to a close in November. It generated total commitments of BRL47.2 billion ($8.5 billion). 

Alongside bids from major players Telefonica Brasil (Vivo), Claro Brasil, and TIM Brasil—and established regional players like Algar Telecom and Sercomtel—the auction featured a number of lesser-known participants. 

Today we scrutinize the other companies that scooped up 5G frequencies and examine their plans.

 

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