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UK court on Google; Ericsson, Kathrein deal; Helios Towers' IPO

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UK court on Google; Ericsson, Kathrein deal; Helios Towers' IPO

TOP NEWS

* London's Court of Appeal greenlit legal action against Alphabet Inc. unit Google LLC over claims it illegally accessed internet browsing data from more than 4 million users of Apple Inc.'s iPhone devices, Reuters reports. The decision overturned a 2018 court ruling that the claimants did not suffer "damage" under the U.K.'s Data Protection Act.

* Swedish communication technology company Ericsson completed the acquisition of Kathrein Mobile Communication, Germany-based Kathrein SE's antenna and filter division. The acquisition will help Ericsson's push to develop 5G-capable technologies, the company said.

* Telecom towers operator Helios Towers is pushing through with its public listing on London Stock Exchange at a total valuation of $1.42 billion to $1.79 billion, Reuters reports, citing a source. The company reportedly set the IPO's per share price range at £1.15 to £1.45.

* Nearly two years into the investor-led Climate Action 100+ initiative, a number of companies targeted by the engagement strategy have improved their climate disclosures, set new emissions reductions targets and revisited their lobbying strategies. However, investors participating in the effort say they are yet to convince all of the companies in their cross-hairs to review and act on climate change.

PAN-EUROPEAN

* Walt Disney Co. named Jan Koeppen president of its Europe, Middle East and Africa operations, effective Nov. 11, Digital TV Europe reports, citing a statement. Koeppen will take over from Rebecca Campbell, who was appointed president of Disneyland Resort within Disney's parks, experiences and products division.

* Normal access to Twitter Inc. and its dashboard management platform TweetDeck were restored Oct. 2 after a global outage. Several users were unable to log on to access both Twitter and TweetDeck, Reuters reports.

* NTT Ltd. will bring together 28 companies and brands from more than 70 countries to form a global $11 billion technology services provider. The brands that will be combined over a phased period include Arkadin SAS, CAPSiDE SL, DTSI Group Ltd. and Transatel SA.

* RTL Group SA's RTL 4 commissioned EndemolShine Nederland BV unit Simpel Media to produce eight episodes of "Your Home Made Perfect." Meanwhile, TF1 Group commissioned Endemol Shine France SAS to produce the same series using VR technology and visual effects.

UK AND IRELAND

* The Premier League named Guardian Media Group PLC chief executive David Pemsel its new CEO, effective April 2020. Richard Masters, who had been serving as interim CEO, will continue in the role and will then revert to being the managing director once Pemsel has joined the league.

* London-based charity Privacy International said social media giants Facebook Inc., Twitter and Google took a "blatantly fragmented approach" to provide transparency on how ads are targeting users on their respective platforms.

* Joe Webb, the former CEO of Independent News & Media PLC's Irish unit, is suing the publisher for breach of statutory duty over an alleged data breach at the company, INM-owned Irish Independent reports. The action follows earlier suits filed by former INM CEO Gavin O'Reilly and former corporate affairs director Karl Brophy.

* Viacom Inc.'s advertising video-on-demand platform Pluto TV rolled out a pop-up channel dedicated to Canadian teen drama "Degrassi," Digital TV Europe reports. The channel will be accessible to Pluto TV users in the U.S. and the U.K.

* The British Broadcasting Corp. acquired coming-of-age series "Looking For Alaska," which will exclusively air in the U.K. on BBC Three via the BBC iPlayer from Oct. 19. Paramount Television and Fake Empire co-produced the eight-part series.

* Keeneland Association, an organization devoted to the thoroughbred horse industry, struck a multiyear deal to grant Sky Ltd.'s Sky Sports Racing exclusive broadcast rights to its racing and sales to viewers in the U.K. and Ireland.

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA

* Synopsys Inc. completed its acquisition of German automotive software developer QTronic GmbH for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to boost Synopsys' portfolio of automotive virtual prototyping solutions.

* MSCI Inc. subsidiary MSCI Barra SA completed the acquisition of Switzerland-based climate risk data provider Carbon Delta AG. The terms of the cash deal were not disclosed.

* Laura Himmelreich will assume the role of deputy editor-in-chief of digital at German publisher Funke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA. Himmelreich was previously editor-in-chief of Vice.com.

* ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE expanded its sustainability strategy and cooperated with Media4Planet, a company that provides sustainable advertising space in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Proceeds will support the UN's climate protection goals.

* Deutsche Telekom AG partnered with carmaker Audi AG to launch a 5G technology partnership with the city of Ingolstadt. The 5G technology will be used to make mobility safer, more digital and sustainable.

FRANCE

* Iliad SA's Free launched its brand outside France for the first time, Les Échos reports. Senegalese operator Tigo, acquired by Iliad's founder and majority shareholder Xavier Niel and two other investors in spring 2018, was renamed Free Senegal.

* Altran Technologies SA launched a center specializing in advanced networks in the U.S. to help customers in their transition to 5G. Located in Manhattan, New York, the center will provide consulting and integration services to telecom and network equipment providers as well as help clients develop new use cases and monetize new services.

* Orange SA accidentally revealed the speeds of its new Livebox 5 device, one week ahead of its launch on Oct. 9, Univers Freebox reports. The operator briefly posted on its website that the decoder will offer up to 2 Gbps download speeds and up to 600 Mbps upload speeds.

NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG

* KPN NV started installing fiber-optic cables in more cities where Ziggo NV provides fixed services, Totaaltv reports. The Dutch telco claims the download and upload speeds of its most purchased subscription types reportedly are the same, unlike its rival.

* KPN and Nokia Corp. escaped a huge patent claim from U.S.-based entity ASSIA concerning the use of vectored VDSL, a technology to offer broadband via existing copper connections, Emerce reports. The case reportedly involved an advanced form of DSL, enabling very fast communication and transmission of large files.

* VEON Ltd. unit VEON Holdings BV priced $700.0 million of its senior unsecured notes due 2025. The settlement date for the offering is expected to be Oct. 9. VEON Holdings intends to use the net proceeds to refinance certain existing outstanding debt and address upcoming debt maturities.

* Data from at least 150,000 Dutch users have been compromised in the recent hack on Zynga Inc.'s games, Telecompaper reports. The data breach affected about 218 million users worldwide.

NORDIC COUNTRIES

* Swedish telecom regulator PTS said another 22 billion Swedish kronor is needed, in addition to investments by commercial companies, to give the entire Sweden access to broadband through fiber networks. PTS has not calculated how much it would cost to reach the goal of using technologies other than fiber.

* Telia Co. AB is launching its More Digital initiative in Norway. The first pilot project to be run by Telia Norge AS is training and guidance to senior citizens to teach them ways to make better use of digital tools.

* The Danish government decided not to launch a new public service TV channel in 2020, Mediawatch reports. The government in 2018 agreed to launch a new culture-focused channel, but proposals for next year's Finance Act show that the necessary funds were not allocated.

* Spotify AB launched its Premium Family plan in India, Television Post reports. Priced at 179 Indian rupees per month, the plan offers up to six individual accounts with a full premium experience, parental controls, access to personalized playlists and a single monthly bill sent to the master account.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

* British Telecom won a €39.97 million contract that will allow it to support the worldwide operations of the Spanish Central Government. The three-and-a-half-year agreement will include BT's communication services to 120 countries.

* Spanish mobile virtual network operator Fi Network launched its standalone fiber-optic plans at speeds from 100 Mbps to 600 Mbps, Telecompaper reports. The symmetric download and upload service will cost €20.90 a month for 100 Mbps, €24.90 a month for 300 Mbps and €29.90 for 600 Mbps.

* Italian regulator Agcom allowed MVNO Digi Mobil to continue opting out of the roam-like-at-home requirement in the European Union for another 12 months, Telecompaper reports. The approval comes after Digi Mobil admitted that it cannot cover the corresponding roaming costs of the EU mandate.

* Spanish broadcaster TV3 commissioned a local version of comedy format "Taboo" from Netherlands-based Lineup Industries, TBI Vision reports. The show launched in 2018 on Belgium's VRT één.

EASTERN EUROPE

* German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies AG laid the foundation of its 32 billion Hungarian forints expansion at its base in Cegléd, Hungary, the Budapest Business Journal reports. Production at the expanded plant will begin at the end of 2021 and is expected to create about 275 more jobs.

* Poland's Cyfrowy Polsat SA decided to merge its mobile operator subsidiaries Polkomtel Sp zoo and Nordisk Polska Sp zoo, Telecompaper reports, citing Telko.in.

* TVN Discovery Polska is laying off less than 30 employees from TVN Media, Broadband TV News reports, citing TVN corporate communications Director Marcin Barcz' statement to Presserwis. Discovery Inc. owns TVN Discovery Polska.

* Guido Menzel resigned as a board member at Deutsche Telekom unit Magyar Telekom, effective Oct. 1, Telecompaper reports.

* Polish data center service provider Beyond.pl appointed Claes Meyer zu Allendorf as CEO, replacing Michal Grzybkowski, Telecompaper reports, citing Rpkom.pl. Grzybkowski will continue to serve as the company's board member.

FEATURED NEWS

Hires and Fires: Microsoft nominates GlaxoSmithKline CEO to board; IBM adds director: Microsoft Corp. nominated GlaxoSmithKline PLC CEO Emma Walmsley to its board of directors, while International Business Machines Corp. named former Vanguard Group Inc. CEO and Chairman F. William McNabb III to its board.

FEATURED RESEARCH

Wireless Investor: Architectural shift in 5G core needed to meet IoT demands: A recurring theme at this year's 5G Core Summit: Implementing 5G is not building a network for a single customer, but for a whole society.

Technology: 5G survey: Deployment roadmaps stretch past 3-year horizon: Of the 56 global operators surveyed in Kagan's B2B 5G survey completed in August, only 10 (17.9%), are staking a claim to 100% 5G coverage by the end of 2022.

Anne Freier, Sylvia Edwards Davis, Marieke Pijnappels and Esben Svendsen contributed to this report.

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