Eurobites: Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone Test TWDM-PON

News Analysis Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe 7/22/2015

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Sky still complaining about BT's acquisition of EE; Nokia tests sub-6GHz 5G; Orange looks to exit Armenia.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD) are to conduct what they claim is Europe's first field trial of TWDM-PON technology over existing fiber infrastructure, promising speeds of up to 40 Gbit/s. The pair have been working together on potential TWDM-PON deployments since 2010, and carried out lab trials in Vigo, Spain.

The ongoing argy-bargy between Sky and BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) over the latter's planned £12.5bn takeover of mobile operator EE continues apace, with Sky and others lodging a complaint with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asserting that the combined group would be too dominant. The Financial Times reveals (subscription required) that Sky's submission to the CMA claimed that the acquisition would bring about a "substantial lessening of competition in several areas." (See Ofcom Could Still Make BT Do Splits and BT & EE Spur UK Sector Shake-Up.)

Nokia Networks is investigating the potential of using sub-6GHz frequencies for 5G with Japan's NTT Docomo. They aim to achieve throughput speeds of 10 Gbit/s using Nokia's 5G radio technology in the 4.4-4.9 GHz band.

TalkTalk is feeling the pressure of increased competition in the UK broadband market, despite raising first-quarter revenues by 3.5% year-on-year, reports Reuters. TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding said that "everyone has been driving more promotional activity" as sales slowed in the run-up to the recent UK General Election. In the previous three months of trading activity, TalkTalk had seen revenues rise 6% year-on-year.

Orange (NYSE: FTE) has entered discussions with Armenian ISP Ucom over the sale of the French giant's local subsidiary, Orange Armenia. Paris HQ believes Orange Armenia, with its 630,000 customers, does not have the necessary scale to justify the investment needed to bring up to scratch.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading