Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Iliad on the up in Q3; Meta hit with another EU mega-fine; KPN trials the assistant-free phone store.
The EU's General Court has upheld the European Commission's decision authorizing Vodafone's 2019 acquisition of Liberty Global's cable operations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania after dismissing legal action by Deutsche Telekom, Tele Columbus and NetCologne. The complainants took the view that the Commission made "manifest errors of assessment" regarding the competitive effects of the deal, citing specifically the market for the "retail supply of TV signal transmission services in Germany." (See Vodafone-Liberty Global deal about to catch more heat – report.)
France's Iliad saw third-quarter revenues rise 8.5% year-over-year, to €2.35 billion (US$2.48 billion), with domestic brand Free gaining 131,000 mobile subscribers, 25,000 standard broadband subscribers and 137,000 full-fiber broadband subscribers during the period. In Italy, Iliad Italia retained its position as the net adds leader in the mobile market, notching up 162,000 new subscribers. Iliad confirmed its target of €10 billion ($10.5 billion) in revenues for full-year 2024.
Brussels' Big Tech bashing continues, with Meta being fined €797.72 million ($843.70 million) by the European Commission for what it sees as a breach of antitrust rules through the way Meta runs its online classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace. In the Commission's eyes, the tying of Marketplace to Facebook's social media network gives it a "substantial distribution advantage which competitors cannot match."
Sunrise's debut on the Swiss stock market got off to a good start on Friday, with stock opening at 44.75 francs and climbing to a high of 45.57 francs in early morning trading, Marketwatch reports. Sunrise is in the process of being spun off by its owner, US cable giant Liberty Global, as part of a broader restructuring. (See Liberty Global to spin off Sunrise.)
Belgian operator Proximus has requested a hearing in the country's parliament to justify itself following criticism in press and on social media. In a statement, Proximus said that "criticisms formulated against the company regarding its strategy, shareholding, Board of Directors and management are based on erroneous information … Correct and complete information should enable all stakeholders to support Proximus' strategy and contribute to its successful future."
Finns are cautiously optimistic about artificial intelligence (AI) – though the men are keener on it than the women. That's one of the findings of a study reported on by Finnish website YLE, which added that high earners in management roles tended to be the most positive about the seemingly all-conquering technology. Not surprisingly, AI's use in autonomous weapons and journalism was generally frowned upon. The study, published by the Finnish Society for Scientific Information, also found growing interest in folk healers and homeopathy. Eek.
Dutch operator KPN has opened what it's calling its "first GenZ store," for all those GenZ-ers who aren't that keen on interacting with, you know, actual humans. "When you enter, you won't immediately encounter an employee. The youngest generation also prefers that," states the press release confidently. Instead, customers can "arrange their own affairs in the store with the help of a remote employee."
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