Bharti Enterprises to acquire majority stake in BT

Bharti Enterprises has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in BT, the UK’s largest broadband and mobile provider.

Bharti will purchase approximately 24.5% of BT Group from its current top shareholder, Altice. The acquisition will be executed through Bharti Global, the international investment arm of Bharti Enterprises.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, commented on the historical significance of this move: "Bharti and BT have an...

12 August 2024 | 5G

T-Mobile closes acquisition of Mint owner

T-Mobile has completed its acquisition of Ka'ena Corporation, the parent company of the direct-to-consumer prepaid wireless brands Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, as well as the wholesale wireless provider Plum.

The Un-carrier announced the completion of the transaction on Thursday, stating that the combination creates a "win-win" situation by pairing the complementary brands with T-Mobile's industry-leading 5G network. T-Mobile plans to maintain the distinct brands' entrepreneurial...

2 May 2024 | 5G

Satellite heavyweights SES and Intelsat to combine in $3.1B merger

Two of the commercial satellite industry's biggest players are joining forces to fortify their position against the onslaught of emerging low-Earth orbit broadband constellations led by SpaceX's Starlink network.

In a $3.1 billion deal announced Tuesday, Luxembourg-based SES will acquire rival operator Intelsat—creating a combined fleet of around 100 satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO).

The new behemoth born from the merger will boast more than twice the number of...

1 May 2024 | Broadband

EchoStar completes $26B acquisition of DISH Network

EchoStar has announced the completion of its $26 billion acquisition of DISH Network. The deal combines two of the nation's largest providers of satellite and wireless services into one telecoms giant.

Under the terms of the agreement, DISH Network has become a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar. All outstanding shares of DISH Network's common stock have been converted into shares of EchoStar stock, valuing the transaction at approximately $26 billion. The conversion rate for...

3 January 2024 | 5G

SES ends Intelsat acquisition talks

SES has announced that it has ceased merger talks with Intelsat, ending plans for further consolidation in the satellite internet sector.

The potential combination of the businesses, which was reported in March, would have created a significant player in the industry. According to Bloomberg, the transaction would have been valued at over $10 billion, including debt.

SES confirmed the end of discussions in a statement, while Intelsat stated that it regularly engages in...

22 June 2023 | Hot Topics

Viasat completes Inmarsat acquisition

Viasat has successfully completed its acquisition of London-based Inmarsat, just a week after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dismissed a competition complaint filed by SpaceX.

The significant merger brings together two organisations with complementary technology assets, resources, and capabilities, creating a global communications provider with an expanded portfolio of services.

Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat, said: 

“We are...

1 June 2023 | Networks

Ericsson completes $6.2B acquisition of Vonage after clearing hurdles

Ericsson has finally completed its $6.2 billion acquisition of cloud communications provider Vonage after clearing some major hurdles.

The Swedish vendor first announced its biggest-ever acquisition in November last year.

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, said: “The core of our strategy is to build leading mobile networks through technology leadership. This provides the foundation to build an enterprise business. The acquisition of Vonage is the next step...

22 July 2022 | 5G

Lumine Group snaps up connectivity monetisation firm TOMIA

Someone counting a fan of US dollars.

Lumine Group, a division of Volaris Group focused on the communications and media vertical, has acquired TOMIA, an innovator in global connectivity monetisation solutions.

TOMIA’s software optimises and orchestrates critical inter-carrier business processes including data and financial clearing, network roaming, real-time campaign management and interconnect solutions.

Many of the industry’s leading service providers are said to rely on TOMIA’s technology to...

20 June 2022 | Networks

Altice fuels takeover concerns as its BT ownership increases to 18%

BT Tower

Altice, the telecoms group of French billionaire Patrick Drahi, has increased its ownership of BT to 18 percent from 12.1 percent.

Drahi’s growing interest in BT has fuelled concerns amongst the company’s leadership and the UK government, with a Downing Street spokesperson stating the “situation is being monitored carefully”.

The French billionaire, known for being a prolific dealmaker, shocked the industry in June when his company paid £2.2 billion for a 12.1...

16 December 2021 | Legislation & Government

FCC: Verizon can acquire TracFone subject to ‘demanding conditions’

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Verizon approval to acquire TracFone, but it will be subject to “demanding conditions”.

Verizon announced its intention to acquire TracFone Wireless for $6.25B back in September 2020.

TracFone is the largest reseller of wireless services in the US and has around 21 million subscribers. The proposed deal naturally caught the eye of regulators.

One of the major concerns is that Verizon could hike prices...

23 November 2021 | Legislation & Government