What’s up with… NG eCall, TalkTalk, Vodafone Germany

• German operators activate NG eCall
• TalkTalk starts M&A outreach
• Vodafone upgrades its cable network in Germany

In today’s industry news roundup: Germany’s main mobile operators have activated 4G-enabled emergency connectivity to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles; TalkTalk’s bankers are hunting for buyers; Vodafone Germany boosts its DOCSIS 3.1 cable broadband network; and more!

Germany’s three main mobile operators – Deutsche Telekom (DT), O2 Telefónica and Vodafone Germany – have deployed the Next Generation Emergency Call (NG eCall) car system on their networks, they jointly announced (in German). The existing eCall system, which has been a mandatory feature for all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles across the European Union since 2018 and which delivers real-time data from those vehicles, relies on 2G connections. But DT is to shut down its 2G network in June 2028 while Vodafone Germany will begin deactivating its 2G services in September 2028 and ending all 2G services by the end of 2030. (O2 Telefónica is yet to announce its 2G shut down timetable.) The new NG eCall uses 4G connections and in the future will use 5G. Alexander Jenbar, Telekom Deutschland’s CTO, noted: “NG eCall is an important step for road safety. With this technology, we are using the full power of our modern 4G and 5G networks to transmit emergency calls faster and more reliably than ever before.” Mallik Rao, chief technology and business customer officer at O2 Telefónica, added: “The introduction of the new vehicle emergency call system is a safety improvement for consumers travelling on the roads in Germany. An emergency call from the road must reach the emergency services quickly – whether on the motorway or a country road. Such a central system cannot rely on outdated radio technology. The NG eCall is like a digital emergency call box for cars. But an emergency call is only as good as the connection it carries. High-performance and consistently expanded mobile networks ensure that people in Germany are always safely connected, even when driving.” Germany’s fourth mobile operator, 1&1, doesn’t have any car fleet SIM card contracts but will implement the feature as and when any such deals are struck. 

Major UK broadband service provider TalkTalk has initiated talks with potential acquirers as it seeks sales for its consumer broadband services business, which has about 1.7 million customers, and PlatformX Communications (PXC), its related wholesale business, reports Sky News. VodafoneThree and Virgin Media O2 have been identified as potential bidders for at least some part of the TalkTalk empire. No potential price tags were reported. TalkTalk hired bankers to explore sale opportunities in September last year.    

Much of the global fixed broadband focus these days is on fibre to the premises (FTTP), but cable broadband investments are still part of the mix, including in Germany, where Vodafone has upgraded its cable broadband network to give its customers on that network, which reaches 24 million premises, better downlink and uplink capacity. (Vodafone Germany is also investing in FTTP infrastructure, which currently reaches 5 million premises.) The operator noted in this announcement (in German) that the activation of DOCSIS 3.1 low-split technology on its cable broadband network is improving downstream speeds by up to 100 Mbit/s (depending on the contract) while maximum uplink speeds will increase to 75 Mbit/s, a 50% improvement from the previous 50 Mbit/s maximum. Vodafone Germany has just over 10 million fixed broadband customers.  

Swedish “massive IoT” specialist Netmore Group has acquired French low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) solutions company Actility for an undisclosed sum. The purchase of Actility, which has operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Australia, “strengthens Netmore’s leadership in its primary vertical segments including utilities, buildings and smart cities, while expanding reach into the enterprise, industrial, asset tracking and operator sectors,” noted Netmore in this announcement. “Actility brings Netmore thousands of LoRaWAN [an LPWAN protocol] project deployments across more than 100 countries, partnerships with over 50 LoRaWAN network operators, and a customer base that includes Tier-1 operators and global utility and manufacturing leaders.” The deal brings the total number of contracted internet of things (IoT) devices now under Netmore management to more than 14 million. Olivier Hersent, CEO of Actility, stated: “Joining Netmore is a transformative step for Actility, our customers and the market. Our shared commitment to advancing IoT innovation creates a unique opportunity to power some of the most advanced IoT solutions globally. Through our close alignment on values, culture and commitment to service, we can accelerate adoption across industries, enabling operators and enterprises to unlock the full potential of connected ecosystems. Together, we will make LoRaWAN the default infrastructure for massive IoT.”

Zegona Communications, the owner of Vodafone Spain, is in talks to form a wholesale radio access network (RAN) operator in Spain with one of the country’s other major mobile network operators, MásOrange, and Telefónica, and has been holding talks with both about the prospects, Zegona’s CEO Eamonn O'Hare told Spanish newspaper Expansion. He noted that a deal would be less complicated with MásOrange, though deliver fewer synergies, while a “RANco” agreement with Telefónica would be harder to strike but deliver better outcomes. Zegona has already brokered such agreements in the fixed broadband access market, forming FiberCo companies with each of its rivals – PremiumFiber is its wholesale FTTP operator venture with MásOrange (in which investment firm GIC has taken a stake), while FiberPass is the FTTP joint venture with Telefónica (in which AXA has agreed to take a 40% stake). 

– The staff, TelecomTV