📰 Telecom / Broadband Industry News — October 13, 2025

1. Italy in standoff with KKR over Telecom Network Deal

Italy’s government is in a tense negotiation with KKR, which holds a 37.5% stake in FiberCop, over plans to merge FiberCop with rival Open Fiber. Reuters

• Background: KKR acquired its stake in FiberCop in a €19 billion transaction, helping Telecom Italia reduce debt. Reuters

• Points of dispute:
  • Valuation disagreements and fears over protracted antitrust review delays. Reuters
  • The government wants to reduce the number of buildings Open Fiber must cover (by ~700,000) under an EU-funded broadband expansion plan, which KKR sees as unfair support for Open Fiber. Reuters
  • FiberCop has also hesitated to finalize a €500 million capacity purchase agreement from Open Fiber in dense urban zones. Reuters

• Rationale & stakes: The Italian state favors merging the two networks to eliminate duplication, accelerate ultra-fast broadband rollout, and close the gap with the EU average (Italy ~70% coverage vs EU ~82%). Reuters

• Current status: Negotiations ongoing; government sees no “insurmountable obstacles.” Reuters

Implications

• Any forced merger may unsettle private investors concerned about expropriation or adverse regulatory changes.

• Delays in broadband rollout risk falling further behind European peers, especially for underserved areas.

• The resolution will set precedents for public–private cooperation in infrastructure consolidation in Europe.

2. Telstra & SQC Demonstrate Quantum-Enhanced Network Prediction

Australia’s Telstra and Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) announced results from a year-long collaboration exploring quantum machine learning to improve predictive network analytics. The Quantum Insider

• What they built: A “quantum reservoir” system named Watermelon, which generates quantum-derived features fed into predictive models. The Quantum Insider

• Key findings:
  • Predictions matched the accuracy of Telstra’s existing deep learning models but required far less training time. The Quantum Insider
  • The quantum system avoided the heavy GPU/hardware requirements typical of classical deep learning. The Quantum Insider

• Use cases targeted: Detecting latency issues, forecasting demand fluctuations, proactively reconfiguring network resources, triggering automated repair or capacity adjustments. The Quantum Insider

Implications

• Demonstrates the feasibility of hybrid classical-quantum systems in telecom operations.

• If adopted at scale, could reduce OPEX, speed up anomaly detection, and enable more resilient networks.

• Sets a local benchmark for quantum adoption in telecom; others (e.g. in Europe, U.S.) may follow suit.

3. Vodafone Idea Shares Fall After AGR Hearing Postponed

Shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd dropped ~2% on October 13 after India’s Supreme Court deferred its hearing on the company’s plea regarding the government’s Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues to October 27. The Economic Times

• Context: Vodafone Idea has long been mired in disputes over AGR liabilities — substantial sums demanded by the Indian government. The Economic Times

• Market reaction: The postponement prolongs uncertainty around regulatory risk and financial burden. The Economic Times

• Signals from government: There is some indication of openness to a settlement, though details remain vague. The Economic Times

Implications

• Continued legal and regulatory ambiguity dampens investor confidence and delays strategic investment or restructuring decisions.

• A settlement, if achieved, could unlock capital and ease balance sheet stress — especially for cash-strapped carriers.

• Other regional telecom operators may watch closely for precedent in dealing with legacy dues and regulatory concessions.