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Wireless Federation » archive for 'Tiscali'

Vodafone closes in on Tiscali

  • June 3rd, 2008
  • 3:17 pm

Reports from the Italian press suggest that the UK’s Vodafone Group is ready to make an offer for all of the assets of Sardinia-based internet service provider Tiscali. The Italian daily MF says the British firm will submit its bid within the next 24 hours and intends to make an offer for the entire Tiscali group, including its main operations in Italy and the UK. It had been thought that Tiscali would have to split its UK and Italy businesses in order to attract suitable offers. Tiscali is valued at around EUR1.6 billion (USD2.5 billion).

   

 

 

O2 to test IPTV service in UK (UK)

  • December 18th, 2007
  • 3:03 pm

O2 is planning to test an IPTV service in the UK at its broadband ISP Be, report The Independent and The Guardian. Salvadore Anglada, chief executive of Telefonica O2 Czech Republic, said the operator’s experience with IPTV in the Czech Republic is vital to how it tackles other countries. The operator currently has around 70,000 customers for the Czech IPTV service. He said that the launch of broadband in the UK this year was already influenced by its Czech operation in areas such as network management and technology. Existing content details in the Czech market with companies like Warner Bros, Paramount and HBO could also be extended to the UK. According to the Guardian, O2 will trial the service next year and could have a commercial launch before the end of 2008. Meanwhile rival Orange has held tests of its own IPTV service and is expected to launch in 2008, while Tiscali already has a TV service on the market.

   

Tiscali launches IPTV in Italy (Italy)

  • December 12th, 2007
  • 2:42 pm

Tiscali has launched its IPTV service in Italy. Tiscali TV will initially be available in Milan, Rome and Cagliari and gradually rolled out in the rest of Italy next year. To win over new customers, Tiscali is offering the TV service free to subscribers until the end of March. The service is a combination of IPTV and DTT, including video-on-demand, time shifting and an electronic programme guide. Over 50 channels are offered, including themed areas for children, music, cinema, short clips and user-generated content. The basic service costs EUR 17 per month, with themed content packages for children, music and catch-up TV with RAI channels available for EUR 4 each. The decoder, which is HD-ready, a remote control and Wi-Fi modem for connecting the TV to the PC cost EUR 4 a month, with installation free. All services are free until the end of March for new subscribers. Tiscali already offers an IPTV service in the UK and in Italy it will compete against ADSL operators Alice, Fastweb and Wind, which also offer IPTV.

   

Tiscali board approves EUR 150 mln share capital increase (UK)

  • November 20th, 2007
  • 2:38 pm

The board of directors of Tiscali has resolved upon a share capital increase of up to EUR 150 million to be offered with pre-emption rights for Tiscali’s shareholders. The capital increase proceeds will be utilised to partially refinance the debt related to the acquisition of the broadband and voice division of Pipex in the UK. It is expected that the capital increase will be executed in the first months of 2008, depending on market conditions. Tiscali has also signed an agreement whereby Management and Capitali will underwrite EUR 60 million of subordinated bonds convertible into Tiscali new shares. The bonds will be issued by a Luxembourg company controlled by Tiscali which will also guarantee the bonds.

   

 

Telfort moves into fixed internet market (Netherlands)

  • October 12th, 2007
  • 12:06 pm

Dutch mobile operator Telfort is moving into the fixed internet market. The company will offer broadband at up to 20 Mbps for EUR 19.95 per month. Line rental and unlimited calls to fixed lines can be added for an additional EUR 9.95. In line with its mobile marketing, Telfort said it’s targeting price-conscious consumers with the internet offer. Citing a survey showing that some 94 percent of Dutch consumers find internet advertising misleading, Telfort said it aims to offer a simple service at a fixed price for 12 months, with no extra conditions or costs. Telfort is a subsidiary of Dutch fixed-line incumbent KPN. Subscribers to Telfort Internet will not require a KPN fixed-line susbcription. A spokeswoman confirmed to Telecompaper that KPN intends to merge its ADSL brands Speedlinq and Tiscali under the Telfort brand as well, but that the company is currently investigating possible effects on customers and systems of both ISPs and a final decision has not been made yet.

   

Tiscali Italia launches standalone voice offer (Italy)

  • October 8th, 2007
  • 2:40 pm

Italian telecom operator Tiscali has launched the Tiscali Voce, a stand alone voice offer that enables those reached by Tiscali’s unbundling network to retain their home telephone number without paying Telecom Italia’s monthly fee. The solution is especially aimed at all those who do not need an ADSL line but only require a fixed telephony service, which includes free phone calls towards Tiscali clients. Tiscali Voce is available as part of two tariff options: Tiscali Voce No Limit, a flat offer costing EUR 19.90 a month with unlimited calls towards all national fixed network numbers, with no charge for establishing the connection, and Tiscali Voce Free, costing EUR 9.90 a month with free urban and interurban phone calls with an EUR 0.15 charge for establishing the connection.

   

Vodafone leads race for Tele2 Italia (Italy)

  • October 3rd, 2007
  • 1:12 pm

The competition to acquire Tele2’s Italian assets is now a stand-off between two players, Vodafone and Wind, with Vodafone in the better position according to a report from Reuters. The report, which cites ‘a source familiar with the situation’, says other bidders, including FastWeb and Tiscali have dropped out, leaving just Vodafone and Wind in the running. Vodafone is thought to hold an advantage because it is willing to buy Tele2’s Italian assets along with the same company’s Spanish business; Wind is interested only in Tele2 Italia, a firm which has been valued at up to EUR560 million (USD790 million).

   

 

Pipex to spin off WiMAX venture, sell remaining assets (UK)

  • September 26th, 2007
  • 11:32 am

The UK’s Pipex Communications has announced plans to spin off its WiMAX venture Pipex Wireless and sell its remaining web hosting and business services activities. Developed with Intel, Pipex Wireless has been testing wireless services in a handful of cities in the UK and is set to launch commercial services in the fourth quarter in Manchester. Meanwhile, as part of the company’s strategic review, Oakley Capital has shown interest in acquiring the rest of Pipex. Peter Rubens, a limited partner at Oakley, also sits on the Pipex board. An independent board committee, excluding Rubens, will be set up to evaluate offers for the rest of the group. Pipex also reported its first-half results, showing sales up 58 percent to GBP 188.9 million, of which GBP 153.1 million was from the broadband and voice activities recently sold to Tiscali. Before tax, the group had a loss of GBP 8.5 million, versus a profit of GBP 0.8 million a year earlier, hit by higher operational, amortisation and depreciation charges as well as the start-up costs for the wireless venture and interest associated with a bond issue.

   

Tiscali grows H1 revenues 24% to EUR 393 million (Italy)

  • September 13th, 2007
  • 11:54 am

In its home market Italy, Tiscali added 68,000 ADSL customers in the quarter for a total of over 500,000. About 300,000 used Tiscali’s unbundled network, which now covers around 38 percent of Italian households. Around 124,000 broadband subscribers took a double-play package with voice services. Revenues in Italy grew 24 percent from a year earlier to EUR 130 million, while EBITDA doubled to EUR 21.3 million from EUR 10.7 million a year ago.

In the UK, Tiscali finished June with 1.550 million broadband customers, after adding over 110,000 during the first half. Sales rose 23 percent from a year earlier to EUR 253.2 million, and EBITDA improved to EUR 36 million from EUR 30 million. Some 440,000 ADSL customers used the unbundled network, which now reaches 55 percent of UK households. Details on its IPTV service launched earlier this year in the UK were not provided, but Tiscali said it does plan to launch the service in Italy.

   

Tiscali rules out further capital hike(Italy)

  • August 10th, 2007
  • 1:46 pm

ISP Tiscali has ruled out a further capital hike beyond the EUR 200 million rights issue announced recently. The statement follows a report in Milano Finanza suggesting that private equity fund Management & Capitali may take a stake in the company for EUR 150-200 million. Tiscali said that it is in talks with Italian and international financial institutions, including M&C, about their possible support in further growth opportunities it’s examining in its core markets of the UK and Italy. However this would not take the form of any further capital increase by the company. According to the paper, Tiscali is also interested in acquiring Tele2’s Italian operations.