This post is retained unchanged for reference. It reflects the position when it was published and has not been updated, so it may not state the current law. For current analysis, see the practice-area pages and recent posts.
Lawyer
Telecoms | Data | Payments | Managing Partner, Bratby Law | Fractional General Counsel | Chambers-ranked telecoms lawyer
In short: Four UK fibre altnet M&A transactions in Q1 2026 confirm the consolidation wave. The dividing line between a strategic exit at market metrics and a distressed lender-driven exit is debt repayment capacity: whether take-up generates enough recurring revenue to service the debt incurred during the build phase. Acquirers must assess CMA jurisdiction under…
UK fibre consolidation is splitting into two paths. On the happy path, a well-positioned altnet is bought at a premium by a scaled acquirer, as in nexfibre’s agreement to acquire the Substantial Group, the parent of Netomnia and YouFibre, announced in February 2026 and analysed in our earlier note, UK Fibre Consolidation: What the Nexfibre…
Ofcom’s consultation on how high-density areas are defined for Upper 6 GHz (6425-7125 MHz) subnational mobile licences closes on 6 July 2026. What MNOs and enterprise campus operators must know.
In short: Altnet PIA, the Openreach product that lets operators build using its ducts and poles, is not new. It has been a regulated wholesale input since 2010, and the Electronic Communications Code requires operators to consider sharing apparatus more broadly. Two recent moves progress those arrangements. INCA’s Infrastructure Sharing Framework formalises operator-to-operator duct, pole…
EU Merger Guidelines telecoms reset: the draft elevates scale, innovation and resilience as procompetitive factors. What it means for UK M&A with EU jurisdiction.
In short: the draft EU merger guidelines data and digital deals reset puts ecosystem theories of harm, killer acquisitions and innovation competition at the centre of the substantive test, and introduces an Innovation Shield that protects most start-up acquisitions subject to conditions. The CMA reached similar ground in case practice on Microsoft Activision and Adobe…