Eurobites: Mobile service revenue boosts Telefónica Deutschland's Q3

Telefónica Deutschland has confirmed its forecast for the financial year 2023 after a third quarter that saw its adjusted OIBDA (operating income before depreciation and amortization) increase by 3.6% year-over-year to €665 million (US$710 million) on revenue that climbed 2.2% to €2.13 billion ($2.27 billion). Mobile service revenue was a key contributor to the upward trend, rising 3.4%, though handset revenues fell by 2.1%. Business broadband revenue growth helped push overall fixed-line revenue up by 1.8% on last year's numbers.

Separately, parent company Telefónica has made a bid to acquire the 28.19% of Telefónica Deutschland that it does not already own, at an offer price of €2.35 per share. If it is successful, the acquisition will help reinforce the Spanish giant's strategy of focusing on its core territories – Spain, Brazil, Germany and the UK – going forward.

Belgian challenger operator Citymesh has acquired broadband provider EDPnet from Proximus, ending some uncertainty about the future of EDPnet. The 60-strong workforce will transfer over to Citymesh, though they still be based at their existing headquarters in Sint-Niklaas.

Team Citymesh: Telecom mavericks who refuse to wear proper shoes. (Source: Citymesh)

Proximus NXT, Proximus' enterprise division, has extended its IT services contract with Belgian bank Belfius for another three years. Proximus NXT will provide SD-WAN, Internet access and cloud connectivity as well as LAN/WLAN services for Belfius' headquarters, and over 750 banking and insurance branches across the country.

Still in Belgium, cable operator Telenet has chosen Ciena to carry out a network upgrade. Ciena will deploy, among other things in its box of tricks, the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS), a photonic layer offering with built-in instrumentation and automation tools that, says the vendor, will help Telenet ensure maximum fiber capacity.

Dutch operator KPN intends to distribute €3.8 billion ($4 billion) to its shareholders over the next four years as part of a new strategy it has dubbed "Connect, Activate & Grow." As well as lining the pockets of its shareholders, the company will "go all out to connect everyone in the Netherlands to a sustainable future," declaims its CEO, Joost Farwerck. Like every other operator on the planet, KPN will also look to exploit the potential of AI and automation to cut costs while still providing, promises Farwerck, an "exceptional service experience."

Group EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) at South African operator MTN rose 2.8% year-over-year in the third quarter, to 70.3 billion South African rand ($3.8 billion), on service revenue that was up 9% to SAR156.3 billion ($8.5 billion). CEO Ralph Mupita admitted that power outages continue to present a challenge to the company, though he maintained that significant progress has been made in MTN's network resilience program.

New research from Currys, a UK consumer electronics retailer, has revealed that refurbished (or secondhand) tech is becoming increasingly popular with cash-strapped and/or environmentally aware Brits. According to the research, 36% of those surveyed say there are likely to buy secondhand tech – including smartphones – in the run-up to Christmas. To cash in on the trend, Currys has come up with the term "Green Friday" and introduced a new range of saved-from-landfill devices.

Maritime tech company Marlink is deploying Eutelsat OneWeb's LEO satellite connectivity for its "luxury icebreaker" ship, Ponant. Ice-cap-bothering tourists will be able to enjoy high-throughput and low-latency Internet access during their voyage so they can instantly show what the less well-off folks back home are missing.