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I know we’re not disagreeing. I can’t see the the reasoning behind the deal, but who knows! |
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Other benefits that would likely be pitched are the benefits for VMO2 to have a value brand during a recession and if they're stretching things, bundling in mobile contracts for TalkTalk customers too. The latter does not have a good history. I still think their reasoning for tabling the offer is to get Vodafone to pay more for TalkTalk (or put them off buying it) and get some competitive intel on TalkTalk. If they can do this without buying TalkTalk then perfect. But as you rightly say: Who knows? |
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It is worth remembering that VMO2 *are* a Openreach reseller though.
O2 are a large-ish player in the business broadband/ethernet/wifi game. https://www.o2.co.uk/business/soluti...d-and-internet https://www.o2.co.uk/business/soluti...ity/o2-gateway A lot of the public wifi networks are O2 networks. There is just no consumer side to the FTTC/ADSL business - yet. |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 has started the process to sell at least 50% of its stake in its masts business.
The sale could raise as much as £750million and would be used to expand fibre broadband and mobile operations https://www.ft.com/content/933abcba-...2-dbf058aa6e6c |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 has today appointed Ulrik Bengtsson as its new Chief Operating Officer, whilst Julie Agnew has replaced Rob Evans as Managing Director after he left due to health reasons
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...expansion.html |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 will publish its Q1 2023 financial results on Wednesday 10th May
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media 02 added 28,800 Fixed Broadband customers in Q1 with the average speed standing at 315Mbps +36% on last year
Fixed customer base grew by 20,900 to 5.8 million https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/wp-...gs-Release.pdf |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
The Telegraph is reporting that both Liberty Global and Warner Bros Discovery has put All3Media up for sale rumoured to be as high as £1bn.
*Both Liberty Global & then called Discovery Communications has own All3Media since May 2014. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...ale-1-billion/ ---------- Post added at 21:42 ---------- Previous post was at 20:49 ---------- FREE link for story https://deadline.com/2023/05/warner-...le-1235383801/ |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media Ireland has today announced it has started to roll out 2 Gigabit Broadband
The first towns to get 2 Gig Broadband and 99.9% reliability are Tralee, Killarney and Letterkenny with a partial launch in Dublin, Cork and Louth as upgrade work continues in these 3 locations 2GB broadband standalone will cost €64 for the first 12 months and €90 a month after for new customers 2GB broadband with TV will start from €79 for the first 12 months and €124 a month after for new customers the cost is obviously be higher with multi room and sports and or cinema packages |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
I wonder what "99.9% reliability" means
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https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2023/06/1.png |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
The Times reports Liberty Global is looking at selling some or all of their VMO2 shareholding:
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https://advanced-television.com/2023...a-acquisition/ |
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But you are correct, more than a year down the line and we still have two identities. That doesn’t work. It didn’t work with NTL:Telewest and it doesn’t work now. It is also a barrier within the company with legacy employees hanging on to their former identities, it doesn’t help with integration. You also have a great point that the O2 brand is just as powerful as the Virgin brand. A decision will have to be made and unless contractual conditions prevent it, I can certainly see the O2 brand being favoured. BT seem to be going with EE. |
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So if they need to pay £2m per year - they would need to pay over £15m to get out of and that before terms and conditions when deal was signed. |
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£15m is peanuts anyway, if that was the figure. |
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From a quick Google I don’t think it’s quite straightforward to put a valuation on it as the 30 year licensing was tied to the NTL:Telewest acquisition of Virgin Mobile (which was nearly a billion quid which seems like a lot for an MVNO) and Branson got shares in the new entity.
One of the links seems to indicate a ten year break option which could be exercised in 2026/7. |
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https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/d...41_2ex10d5.htm ---------- Post added 19-06-2023 at 00:13 ---------- Previous post was 18-06-2023 at 23:57 ---------- Quote:
BT seem to be taking their time going over to EE branding. They've not got BT TV available as an EE service. I can't see a BT TV type service being discontinued by them as they're still retaining a 50% stake in TNT Sports. |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 has informed staff it is to make an unspecified number of workers redundant
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VMO2 has advised certain affected employees that they are at risk of redundancy. The way you phrased it would imply that the whole of the VMO2 workforce has been advised of this, which isn't true. I don't know the actual figure but as far as I can tell, it is not a large number. Which doesn't make it any easier for those affected, I understand. |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Between 500-800. By the sounds of it.
Out of 16,000, I think, works out at up to 5% of the total workforce. |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 will make at least 800 staff redundant this summer with the expectation they'll be by the end of July ahead of pay rises for staff on August 1st
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/ac...ut-woes-47834/ |
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VR is on offer. Any affected employees also have the opportunity to put forward a "counter proposal" In a departure from usual procedure, the whole thing has been devised and managed by consultants, Deloitte and consultations for affected employees are being undertaken again by 3rd parties brought in from outside the company. The salary issue is dodgy, the annual salary review is usually announced by the end of the financial year. But VMO2 dragged their heels and finally put forward their proposal in May in a very convoluted presentation (which was basically everybody gets £2,000, so a good % increase for lower salaries, diminishing as you go up the pay scale). But instead of then awarding the increase in May's pay, backdated 1 month. They advised that the new pay will start in August's pay, and there will be a one off payment of £400 in June, because of having to wait, but the payment in August will not be backdated. (which many pointed out is less than they would have got with backdated pay. They explained the reasoning behind this really strange arrangement with a load baloney. Then low and behold, they announce these redundancies the outcome of which will be resolved by August, meaning than all those taking VR or being made redundant will not benefit from the new salary in their compensation packages as they would have done had they been paid the new salaries in May. Recently they had the brass neck to stand in front of everyone and take the whole workforce for fools and say that this was all just a coincidence! |
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https://news.sky.com/story/virgin-me...-year-12926919[COLOR="Silver"] Virgin Media has today released its Q2 results
The drop in customers is a likely result of the massive price hikes in April and May starting to filter through |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
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Is there a union? |
Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Is it reasonable to assume that one repurcussion of this is that even more customer service roles will be offshored.
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The 2000 includes the 500 or so that finish this week. VMO2 CEO Lutz Schuler, had to send out an email/ video message at 18:00 yesterday advising of the Telegraph story and also informing everyone of the new round of redundancies. This was immediately after another video he sent apologising for the way they have handled the previous redundancies, which has been shambolic. It really is amateur hour at VMO2. Redundancies were always inevitable, that's the reason for the merger, cut duplication maximise synergies. But the way it's being done, I feel embarrassed for him. I think the phrase that will be used next time he tries to get up front everyone is "he's lost the dressing room" It's funny, on the VMO2 internal social media platform, it's all about "well being", "mental health", "look after each other" etc, etc, etc of course, us more experienced people know non of that matters when there's a bottom line. What also doesn't look so great is that VMO2 drew down a £325M line of credit last month to pay it's shareholders. |
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread
Virgin Media Ireland and Sky Ireland have announced a landmark wholesale deal which will see Sky Ireland have access to VMs infrastructure
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Verizon Communications Inc are interested in buying Virgin Media UK according to Media Boy on Twitter
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There's a near zero value of that type of information coming out in that manner.
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I also do not see any reason for Verizon to want to buy Virgin Media O2, nor do I see any reason for Liberty Global and Telefonica to want to sell. MB is not against making stuff up. https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...&postcount=421 |
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However, I don't see why Verizon would want to buy the company nor do I think the news would come via Media Boy. I guess I'm agreeing with both you and jfman! |
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The Advertising Standards Authority have banned Virgin Media’s misleading fastest Wi-Fi guarantee ad's
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They should investigate then for misleading Black Friday deals as well where they offer you a good deal on My Virgin Media page, send you the email confirming the new order and Order reference number and then try to deny they agreed the new deal at that price.
Thousands have been affected by this including myself. |
Re: VM General News Thread
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67782869
As already mentioned by MB in the coming soon thread, Warner and Paramount are in merger talks. As I said in the earlier posts in this thread and this thread: https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...ht=john+malone John Malone (ultimate owner of VM, Discovery (as it was) and now Warner Discovery) is looking for the last big deal. As I used to say on this site, old media is dead in the water. Rupert Murdoch knew this and sold out, the signs outside the Hollywood companies in the future will read: Amazon, Apple, Google, Netflix and possibly one other like Sony. If this merger happens, it won't stop there, I would then expect the merged entity to be gobbled up by someone like Microsoft. John Malone can then put his slippers on and enjoy his retirement. Oh wait, there's all the cablecos and mobile to deal with first... Still plenty more companies to load up with debt.:rolleyes: |
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And Netflix still reigns supreme, despite naysayers predicting its early demise. |
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The biggest sports rights in the United Kingdom sold for a real terms loss and Netflix (and their mountain of debt) nowhere to be seen. |
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But I don't believe Malone does not control or own Warner Brothers Discovery https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warne...20shareholders. And he does not does not control or own VM since it merged with O2. I'm sceptical of a WBD-Paramount merger coming off. Both are heavily in debt and need to focus on getting their own houses in order. Not to say that Amazon couldn't swoop for Paramount but I don't think they would want its broadcast TV assets. The deal that has just happened is that Lionsgate Studios is listing via reverse takeover by a blank cheque company. I'm not sure if Starz has a healthy future as a separate company. Quote:
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Re: VM General News Thread
BT/EE has announced they will axe mid-contract price rises linked to inflation from this summer after Ofcom threatened to ban the practice.
The change will come after this year's hike and will see customers told clearly in "pounds and pence" the planned increase to their monthly bill from next year. No doubt others will now follow in the weeks ahead |
Re: VM General News Thread
Virgin Media has been named the most-complained about broadband, landline phone and pay-TV service in the UK, getting 32 complaints per 100,000 broadband customers between July and September 2023.
O2 was named the most-complained about pay monthly mobile service. |
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Lets face it that still is not many and I wonder how many of those are user error. Anyone in IT know there is always a number of PEBKAC issues
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I think they could live with that number. |
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The comparison with others in the same industry is the main point. You've got to go through a cancellation process to get any sort of decent CS from VM, it shouldn't be that way. |
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Virgin Media have launched Gig2 Full Fibre for areas in their nexfibre XGS-PON network.
It will cost £84 per month or £90 per month with symmetrical speeds. |
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Oh, well I guess that rules me out for a long time still :(
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Outlaying areas mainly, however Scarborough is a good one. 2G non-symmetrical, can and will be, provided over the HFC anyway. |
Re: VM General News Thread
All these come with a free £349 LG 4K 43-inch. NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY OF COURSE
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Here's a list of places served or being added this year:
https://www.nexfibre.co.uk/wp-conten...2023-NEW77.pdf |
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But that will, and is, improving. The fibre overbuild of the HFC network is well underway, but none of the overbuild is live yet and HFC customers don’t yet have the option to switch. |
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From the Telegraph:
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Talk Talk may have a decent consumer base, but it’s mainly delivered over OpenReach infrastructure and I’m not sure that’s what VMO2 are looking for. |
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The Telegraph also suggested regulatory issues might be a concern with Vodafone. I thought this would be less of a concern as they're not as large a player in broadband as VM. Quote:
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Although it would obviously be a lot of work moving TalkTalk customers over to cable connections where available, combining the two ISPs would give VM O2 market share getting close to BT's and leapfrogging Sky. How the regulators would view it is another matter but given the context of TalkTalk's finances there might be some flexibility. A potential remedy that could suit both sides is if VM O2 agreed to sell on those TalkTalk customers who weren't in its cabled areas, perhaps coming to an arrangement with Vodafone in advance. Market share
Per: https://www.choose.co.uk/broadband/guide/market-share/ |
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Really hope the altnets can keep rolling out services, it's the only way people will see sensible pricing out of VM. |
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My take on this, as has always been, is that we'll end up with three "cable" companies each with their own mobile operator. Perhaps there may be a forth once CityFibre and all the altnets come together, as I expect they will. It is clear from those stats, that Vodafone has lost the broadband war, not that it was ever in it to begin with. So what happens next? Well look at the list.... it's clear. Who on that list doesn't have a mobile co?... |
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There will be some, but it won’t coalesce around CityFibre. VMO2/NexFibre have M&A built into their future business plan. |
Re: VM General News Thread
Virgin Media O2 will increase bills for most customers by 8.8%
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UK inflation rate - 4% Virgin Media UK - +3.9% |
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Nope. Virgin use RPI, which is 4.9% plus 3.9% = 8.8% |
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e.g. interest on student loans, bb bills, and the lower CPI for pensions/benefits. Dick Turpin is at work here.... Even if they are getting away with the higher RPI how do they possibly justify the extra +3.9%? . The cable that has been buried outside my house for 20 years hasn't suddenly got more expensive than inflation. They are quite happy to let customers struggle with ancient equipment, as long as they don't complain, threaten to leave. |
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… and let’s not forget it will be 8.8% of the ‘full’ price, not the discounted price.
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8.8% plus the 3.9% CPI. Thats what sky news said this morning
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In which case, Sky are also wrong. It's January RPI + 3.9%.
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It's 8.8% according to sky news Web site five minutes ago
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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. |
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*** 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. Quote:
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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. Quote:
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