Eurobites: VMO2 points finger at rivals over handset charges

Less controversially, VMO2 has introduced a new Flex scheme for small businesses, which allows business customers to adjust their Voom fiber broadband package once every 30 days, according to their usage needs.

Nokia has landed a 5G RAN deal with Orange Jordan, which will see the Finnish vendor supplying equipment from its AirScale range and its NetAct network management system. Orange Jordan aims to provide 5G services to half of the population within four years, followed by 5% year-over-year growth thereafter.

After reviewing rival bids for its fixed network infrastructure from a CDP/Macquarie/Real Assets (Europe) consortium and investment firm KKR, Telecom Italia (TIM) has decided they are "not yet adequate" and, in the light of the bidders hinting at the possibility of an improved bid, have offered a new deadline of June 9 for an improved bid. (See Telecom Italia is how other telcos fear they may one day look.)

The boss of chipmaker Broadcom is visiting Brussels today (Friday) in an attempt to sweet-talk the EU's antitrust stormtroopers into seeing its proposed takeover of server virtualization specialist VMware in a more positive light. As Reuters reports, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan will present his case to a star chamber that includes the EU's deputy director general for mergers, Guillaume Loriot, among others. Last month the EU formally told Broadcom that the proposed $61 billion deal may restrict competition in the market for certain components which can interoperate with VMware's software. (See Eurobites: European Commission casts doubt on Broadcom-VMware deal.)

BT has agreed a deal with Five9, a contact-center software company, to resell Five9's Intelligent CX Platform as part of the products and services it offers to the contact-center market. BT customers will be able to choose from a range of Five9 options, including digital engagement channels, analytics, workflow automation and optimization.

Telco CEOs are always banging on about choppy waters and headwinds so it seems somehow appropriate that Telefonica Black, an ocean-going yacht bearing the Spanish operator's logo that once took part in the Volvo Round the World race and is now used to offer exciting sailing experiences to the general public and for corporate "team bonding" days, came a-cropper yesterday (Thursday) in less-than-friendly British weather. As the Island Echo reports, the yacht suffered a broken mast and a rope wrapped around its propellor while being buffeted in the sea just off the Isle of Wight, which, as regular readers may be aware, is the unlikely spiritual home of Eurobites. The yacht had to be towed to safety by the brave volunteer crew of the Bembridge lifeboat.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading