What’s up with… Ruckus Wireless, One NZ, Deutsche Glasfaser

• Ruckus Wireless sold for $1.85bn
• One NZ adopts Vodafone’s network APIs
• Deutsche Glasfaser secures €1.2bn lifeline

In today’s industry news roundup: Belden is buying Ruckus Wireless in a deal worth $1.85bn; New Zealand operator to use a suite of Vodafone-developed network APIs; giant German altnet gets new funding; and much more!

Network solutions supplier Belden has agreed a cash deal to buy Ruckus Wireless from parent Vistance Networks for around $1.85bn. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending any regulatory approvals or conditions. Ruckus sells purpose-built enterprise network solutions, including Wi-Fi, enterprise switching and cloud networking, and has around 48,000 customers across the globe, according to Belden’s announcement. It has obtained debt financing from JP Morgan to help fund the acquisition. Belden pointed to a few key reasons for making the move, including strengthening its core enterprise growth verticals – hospitality, education and healthcare; expanding its total addressable markets to include Wi-Fi and enterprise switching; and increasing its gross margins and overall boosting its financials. “The addition of Ruckus brings a leading provider of purpose-driven enterprise networks to Belden and accelerates our transformation into a full-stack networking solutions provider,” said Ashish Chand, president and CEO of Belden. Ruckus has a long history of sales and mergers, having previously been part of CommScope before it was split into Vistance and its connectivity and cable business, which was sold to Amphenol in 2025. Prior to this, the Arris Group acquired Ruckus from Broadcom in 2017.

One New Zealand (One NZ) is linking up with its former owner Vodafone Group to leverage the latter’s suite of network APIs for businesses in New Zealand. One NZ – which is the country’s largest mobile carrier – was part of Vodafone Group until 2019, when it was sold to a consortium comprising Infratil Limited and Brookfield Asset Management (it kept using the Vodafone name until 2023). Clearly, though, relations are still strong, as One NZ is initially planning to rollout Vodafone’s APIs for SIM Swap and Number Verification, with more expected to follow. The deal expands Vodafone’s network APIs – aligned with international standards including the GSMA’s Open Gateway and open-source Camara – to New Zealand, opening the door for third-party development of secure digital services.

Just days after the Financial Times reported that a new financing package was on the way, giant German altnet Deutsche Glasfaser, which competes with Deutsche Telekom (DT) on the German fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) market, has announced an agreement with its shareholders EQT and Omers, and its lenders, on “a comprehensive restructuring of its capital base” that is due to be in place in June. It noted in this announcement (in German): “Under the agreement, the shareholders are providing the company with significant equity capital. In addition, the financing partners are making a substantial contribution through new debt financing. The total additional capital amounts to more than €1.2bn. Furthermore, the existing debt will be restructured on long-term terms, and the amount attributable to operating activities will be significantly reduced. Andreas Pfisterer, CEO of the Deutsche Glasfaser Group, stated: “This agreement is an important milestone and very good news for our employees and partners. It ensures continuity as well as planning and financial security. With this, we are fully financed and clearly stand out from the competition. I thank our shareholders and financing partners for their trust. On this basis, DG will complete the planned network expansion and simultaneously drive forward the ongoing transformation from a company heavily focused on construction to a customer-oriented broadband provider.”

UK fibre broadband altnet AllPoints Fibre Networks (APFN) has appointed Mark Walker as CEO, replacing managing director Ronan Kelly, who is set to leave at the end of May to pursue an as-yet undisclosed opportunity, the company noted in an announcement shared with the media. Walker will formally take the reins at the UK-based full fibre wholesaler on 1 June, following a handover period with Kelly. Walker brings 25 years of experience across the reseller and wholesale telecoms channels, including a stint as commercial director at TalkTalk. Kelly leaves having overseen the launch of APFN’s Aquila platform, which gives partners access to national fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and Ethernet coverage. He was previously president of the FTTH Council Europe and had a long stint as CTO of Adtran before he joined APFN as CTO in 2024.

Hungarian infrastructure firm 4iG Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Greek wholesale telco Grid Telecom to collaborate on cross-border digital infrastructure between Albania, Greece and beyond. The most notable focus of the partnership will be on the development of a high-capacity terrestrial fibre cable linking the two countries, while the MoU also accounts for potential future plans to design, build and operate a new subsea cable system in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas. 4iG International Digital Infrastructure (IDI) will work with Grid to create a resilient end-to-end digital corridor, connecting both companies’ networks, and pooling expertise and best practices to link south-east Europe with wider international routes.

– The staff, TelecomTV