Ireland

Huawei goes on a road-trip

Networking vendor Huawei’s quest for global domination shows no sign of slowing in the run up to Christmas, with raids on Dublin and Cairo.

Apple in €1.7bn European datacentre move

Apple is planning to build two new large datacentres in Europe – one in Denmark, the other Ireland – to support the company’s mobile-centric cloud services.

Vodafone set to launch TV services in Ireland – report

Vodafone is planning to launch a TV service in Ireland in a bid to compete with UPC, Sky and Eircom, a report in the Independent.ie has claimed. According to the article, the operator has held discussions with several providers, including Sky, and is planning to begin trials of the service before the summer to fully launch by the end of the year

Burberry CEO joins Apple to lead retail strategy

The world’s most stylish tech brand upped its game this week as Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, announced plans to leave the fashion label and join Apple in a newly created position, as a senior vice president and member of the executive team reporting to CEO Tim Cook.

Vodafone settles tax dispute with HMRC

British operator group Vodafone has claimed its tax policy is fully compliant with the law after it emerged the company had paid a settlement worth millions of pounds to HMRC over tax returns at an Irish subsidiary.

3 to buy O2 Ireland as consolidation drive continues

Hutchison Whampoa, which operates the 3 brand in Europe, has announced that it is to buy Telefónica’s Irish mobile operation O2 for €780m, with a further €70m payable if a number of agreed financial targets are hit. It is the second consolidatory move made by Hutchison in recent months, following the acquisition of Orange Austria, which was completed at the end of 2012.

Eircom to slash 2,000 jobs

Irish fixed line and mobile operator Eircom has announced that it will cut 2,000 of its 5,700 employees over the next 18 months in an aggressive push to cut its operational costs. The firm said that the measures will put it in line with the European average for employees and operational costs.

Skype launches wifi proposition

VoIP provider Skype has set up a public wifi network in the UK and Ireland in a bid to diversify its offering. The firm, acquired by Microsoft in 2011, has teamed up with wifi solutions provider Wicoms to roll out a service called Free Skype WiFi in UK high streets. The service enables shopping malls, retailers and other businesses to deliver public internet access to customers free of charge.

Vodafone and 3 in Irish network sharing deal

Mobile operators 3 and Vodafone are set to embark on a network sharing agreement in Ireland. A source close to the deal told Telecoms.com that the two operators are in advanced discussions regarding a joint infrastructure partnership.

Vodafone Ireland’s bill for overcharging rises to €1.6m

Vodafone has been forced to refund customers in Ireland close to €1m after overcharging them for premium calls over the past three years. The operator has agreed to pay Ireland’s regulator ComReg €950,000 and has also set aside a further €250,000 to refund customers whose details it has lost, as well as customers who have left the network since being overcharged.

Irish Government announces rural broadband & next-generation schemes

Irish Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has announced details of a rural broadband scheme for the country. The scheme is geared towards ensuring universal broadband access in Ireland before the end of 2012. According to the Minister, individual premises in rural areas that have been unable to obtain a broadband service will be able to avail of one on request.

Eircom and O2 announce Irish network share

The second and third-placed mobile operators in the Irish market, incumbent Eircom and Telefonica’s O2, have announced that they are to share networks in a deal that Eircom described as the first of its kind in Ireland. Eircom said that the deal will “result in an unrivalled mobile experience for customers” as the two carriers seek to meet growing demand for high bandwidth services.

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