EXC: Forecasts from the OBR for both the November 2025 Budget and March Spring Statement were accessed more times than originally thought, raising questions about security processes and if anyone benefitted financially.
as.ft.com/r/6aff037c-5...
EXC: Virgin Media O2’s owners are set to lead a roughly £2bn acquisition of UK broadband rival Netomnia, in the first major step to consolidate the UK fibre market.
as.ft.com/r/5780cb35-1...
NEW: Nokia - the company best known for its “brick” phone - has undergone not one, but two reinventions in the last decade (and a bit).
The Finnish group is now aiming to build and connect the infrastructure needed for the rollout of AI.
Free here: as.ft.com/r/2bf1eada-6...
NEW: AI is changing the way we date -- from practising flirting with ChatGPT to letting dating app algorithms do the work for you.
But is it actually a force for good?
@melissahei.bsky.social and I dig into that here in the @financialtimes.com
as.ft.com/r/c29950a0-9...
Scoop: Virgin Media O2 is in talks for what could be a £2bn takeover of broadband rival, Netomnia, in a potentially landmark deal for U.K. altnet consolidation.
Rival CityFibre are also in the bidding, but a deal with neither party has yet been agreed.
as.ft.com/r/a1d36eeb-a...
EXC: ‘Cable cowboy’ John Malone is to step down from his media and telecoms empire today, in an era-ending step for the American pioneer.
Malone will step down as chair of both Liberty Global and Liberty Media.
With @danielthomasldn.bsky.social
on.ft.com/430i2sn
‘It’s a safe place for an American nutter’
Safe to say, JD Vance’s visit to the Cotswolds has evoked some emotions among the locals…
My dispatch from Chipping Norton here:
on.ft.com/47nYQHN
SCOOP: Liberty Global has offered voluntary redundancy to over a third of its direct employees and plans to sell one of its two private jets, in an escalation of long running restructuring efforts at the telecoms group built by “cable cowboy” John Malone.
on.ft.com/4ocM3hF
SCOOP: BT Group are set to appoint Virgin Media O2 Patricia Cobian to replace Simon Lowth as the company’s new CFO.
More in Financial Times Due Diligence newsletter tomorrow.
SCOOP: CityFibre is set to announce its long-awaited £2.3bn refinancing later today or Monday, in a crucial move for the UK's third largest broadband network.
More here free: on.ft.com/44qHWGT
NEW: The surprising success story of British fibre broadband — the FT takes a deep dive into how the U.K. went from laggard to leader in providing faster and more reliable internet services to millions of households.
W/ Alan Smith
Free here: on.ft.com/4kBX5tS
🚨: DragonForce, the ransomware group linked to the recent cyber attacks M&S, Harrods and the Co-Op has begun a turf war with its rivals.
Experts say the move could trigger a battle within the industry that could bring more hacks and further fallout for corporate victims…
on.ft.com/4l7Cb6K ‘
NEW: Tony Blair's staff took part in a BCG project for the redevelopment of Gaza along the lines of the 'Trump Riviera' plan www.ft.com/content/0b1b...
EXC: The CEO of dating app Bumble has criticised staff in London for "freaking out" after she cut 30% of jobs at the company.
Whitney Wolfe Herd said the "centre of gravity" was now the US, as that was "where the talent pool is right now."
w/ @costasmourselas.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4khBM0g
🚨NEW: The boss of BT has said that advances in AI could mean more job cuts at the company beyond the 40k already announced, while opening the door to a possible future spin-off of Openreach.
FREE HERE: on.ft.com/4kBwf5G
The CEO of Liberty Global has claimed business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is “anxious” for large telecoms companies to buy the UK’s struggling “altnet” broadband providers over fears many could collapse and leave customers without internet…
More here:
on.ft.com/4jLfeVu
EXC: BT’s Openreach has threatened to block new TalkTalk customers in an escalating dispute over unpaid bills.
The UK’s largest broadband provider issued the warning this week, which could derail the struggling telecoms operator’s turnaround efforts.
on.ft.com/445qYNV
NEW: TalkTalk has been late making payments worth millions of pounds to its suppliers, including Openreach and CityFibre, as the company struggles with cash flow issues.
This comes just months after sharesholders injected a further £235mn into the company.
on.ft.com/4jtor4z
NEW: Vodafone has pledged £1.5bn towards improving its UK mobile network this year upon the completion of the merger with Three.
However, the company's 2025 results were dampened by its German operation, which shed over 50% of its TV customers last year.
www.ft.com/content/ab9c...
Kemi Badenoch E @KemiBadenoch Follow 12 years access to British waters is three times longer than the govt wanted. We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again. And with no details on any cap or time limits on Youth Mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.
carp-ing from the sidelines
EXC: BT’s involvement in TNT Sports is set to be no more…
A deal to sell the company’s remaining 50% stake to Warner Bros is set to close as soon as next week, putting an end to the telecoms giant’s decade-long experiment in sports broadcasting.
W/ @danielthomasldn.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4mlkJws
NEW: BT to carve out new ‘international’ unit with over 8,000 staff as the company refocuses on it’s U.K. operations.
The company is open to a deal for its international wing, whether that be a sale or a tie-up with another operator.
on.ft.com/3GQnmGD
Great to speak on the FT News Briefing about Doordash’s deal to buy UK food delivery company Deliveroo this morning.
Listen here!
t.co/KRlvvLDrQC
EXC: TalkTalk shed over 400,000 customers last year as the heavily indebted company battled the rise of alternative broadband providers.
Story here: on.ft.com/4k5kgwC
SCOOP: BT has agreed a deal to sell the remainder of its Italian business to local provider Retelit, as CEO Allison Kirkby continues to refocus the company on its UK operations.
Read free here: on.ft.com/4jnxJjz
European telecom groups line up deals in hope of looser merger rules.
One veteran telecoms M&A lawyer said that: “Once the commission green lights one major deal, we’ll see a wave of consolidation.”
With @kieranjsmith.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/0834...
NEW: A top Trump official has told Europe its time to choose between US or Chinese communications tech.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr told those concerned about signing deals with Elon Musk’s Starlink to “wait for the CCP alternative, then you’ll be really worried.”
on.ft.com/42J1gOt
NEW: UK start-ups are increasingly considering switching their headquarters to US in a search for growth as funding for British businesses falls to a post-pandemic low.
Experts warn the U.K. could lose its brightest talent if more isn’t done to encourage them to stay.
on.ft.com/3GiRh9S
EXC: Sky has reiterated its commitment to use CityFibre’s network for some of its 5.7 million broadband customers.
The broadcaster met CityFibre’s lenders last week as they sought reassurances over Sky’s plans before deciding whether to give the “altnet” £1.5bn in extra financing.
on.ft.com/3G9g1Bk
NEW: UK altnet consolidation is picking up as G.Network - who cover 400k homes in London - renews efforts to find a buyer.
This follows CityFibre’s deal to buy Connexin last week, with fibre providers searching for scale as they try and compete with BT.
enterprise-sharing.ft.com/redeem/c9595...
