Telecom spectrum shortage to drive infrastructure sharing and consolidation deals across Europe

Jan. 30, 2014 - PRLog -- Telecom experts are predicting spectrum sharing agreements and consolidation deals to surge globally in 2014, as mobile operators attempt to address the lack of available spectrum and grapple with a continuing slide in legacy revenue streams.

The key issues and opportunities will be assessed in the Spectrum and Regulation Panel at the TMT M&A Forum 2014, on March 19 at the Andaz Hotel in London, featuring executives from EE, Telefonica Europe, Hutchison 3G, Coleago Consulting and Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS). http://www.tmtfinance.com/merger/

“One of the key challenges which mobile operators now face is a real shortage of available spectrum to feed the dramatic growth in data traffic, which is predicted to rocket over the next five years,” one senior telecom executive told TMT Finance. “More spectrum is becoming available, although this varies from region to region. There is also some concern over the potential increase in annual spectrum licence fees, which could also have a major impact on operators, who are already struggling with declining revenues and increasingly competitive markets,” the executive added.

Chris Buist, Director, Coleago Consulting, who will be hosting the Regulation and Spectrum Panel, said: “Until recently, most mobile operators were willing and able to enter into passive sharing with their competitors. The trend is now moving towards active infrastructure sharing, so we expect to see more of that in 2014.

“In developed markets, voice revenues are flat or falling, and data revenue is growing slowly. In emerging markets there is still some growth in voice revenue and data is at an earlier stage – eventually these markets will follow the trends of the developed markets,” he added.

TMT M&A Forum 2014 is the leading global gathering of senior telecom, media, technology and finance and advisory executives focused on strategy and mergers and acquisitions. The conference, which is now in its third year, gathers over 150 telecom executives, investors, lawyers and consultants to assess opportunities for transactions globally.

Other sessions at the event include Telecom Strategy Round Table; Future of TMT; The TMT M&A Panel; Mobile Infrastructure Investment; Emerging Markets Risk; Investing in Datacentres; Media and Convergence;  Raising Finance for Telecoms; and the CFO Round Table.

For more details go to www.tmtfinance.com/merger

To register for the TMT M&A Forum 2014, go to http://www.tmtfinance.com/merger/register/

For more information on other TMT Finance events, go to: www.tmtfinance.com/events