Ofcom’s Plan of Work 2026/27: What It Means for Telecoms Investment and Transactions
Ofcom’s Plan of Work 2026/27 shapes telecoms investment, altnet consolidation and compliance. Analysis of what it means for operators and dealmakers.
Telecoms, data and payments transactions, M&A, JVs, SHAs, network-sharing, SaaS
Ofcom’s Plan of Work 2026/27 shapes telecoms investment, altnet consolidation and compliance. Analysis of what it means for operators and dealmakers.
The Nexfibre-Netomnia deal, the government Statement of Strategic Priorities and Ofcom Telecoms Access Review 2026-31 together set the framework for UK fibre infrastructure transactions. What advisors and investors need to know about deal structuring in a consolidating market.
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 commenced on 5 February 2026, reforming automated decision-making, expanding ICO enforcement powers, and raising PECR fines to UK GDPR levels. Combined with record enforcement activity in 2025 and a new settlement procedure, the ICO is better equipped and more willing to act. What regulated businesses need to do now.
Summary By the end of 2021, many corporate transactions in the communications, data infrastructure, artificial intelligence, satellite and space technologies sectors (and some others) will be subject to mandatory notification to, and national security review by, the UK government. Implementation timetable The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (“Act“) became part of UK law on…
On 24 November 2020, the UK Government started the legislative process for a new Telecoms (Security) law which will, when passed into law, provide statutory backing for their already announced policy objective to exclude Huawei (and potentially other ‘high risk vendors’) from the UK’s 5G (and other) networks on the grounds on national security. This…
In a notice published today, 18 November 2020, Ofcom specified that the days for receipt of applications to participate in the 2021 UK 5G spectrum auctions are between the times of 10:00 (UK time) on 3 December 2020 and 16:00 (UK time) on 4 December 2020. More detail on the upcoming auctions can be found in this earlier post. Bratby Law advises…
The US has updated its rules to prevent Huawei’s access to commercially available chips that use US technology in a move that could sound the death knell for the Chinese telecoms firm. Under new restrictions, announced on Monday 17 August by the US Commerce Department, companies globally will need to obtain a licence to sell…
UK excludes Huawei from 5G and broadband networks: the UK Government has announced a U-turn on Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks, following a meeting of the National Security Council, that will delay 5G rollout by two to three years and increase costs by up to £2 billion.
To all my readers, thank you and goodbye. This blog is now an ex-blog.
On 7 July 2016, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued finalised guidance for authorised UK financial institutions use of cloud services. In a marked contrast to some other jurisdictions’ approach, this guidance is issued against a policy backdrop of FCA’s ‘Project Innovate’ which is a initiative to foster innovation and competition. The FCA say:
On the 18 February 2016, Singapore’s Infocomm Development Agency (IDA) published its decision on the framework for the allocation of an additional 235 MHz of spectrum. This follows their earlier consultations. Key points are set out below: Two stage process to encourage market entry by new entrant (4th MNO) The IDA wants to encourage market entry…
Governance is important for both private and public sector organisations. For development finance organisations (such as IFC, CDC, Africa Development Bank and Asia Development Bank) which are publicly funded and invest in developing countries it is critical. A key part of governance is measuring the development impact that they have through setting goals and measuring the…