O’ Shea new ITV Studios technology director
Spain: CNMC deregulates wholesale fixed broadband
Suggesting that increased competition in the residential broadband market justifies the end of the regulatory obligations imposed on Telefónica, Spain’ s National Commission on Markets and Competition( CNMC) has approved the definitive deregulation of wholesale fixed broadband markets, following a public consultation.
This decision means that Telefónica will no longer be required to offer NEBA Local and NEBA Fiber wholesale services under regulated conditions. Since October 2021, these services were regulated only for approximately 30 % of the Spanish population. Going forward, these services will be subject to competition law and the dispute resolution regime provided for in sectoral legislation.
The CNMC has noted a significant improvement in competitive conditions in the fixed broadband markets, justifying the withdrawal of regulatory obligations for NEBA local and NEBA fibre services. The most significant factors include:
• Increased fibre optic network coverage( FTTH): Telefónica has achieved coverage close to 90 % in the regulated area, very similar to the coverage in the competitive area, which covers 70 % of the population.
• Telefónica’ s fixed broadband market share has declined. In the regulated area, its retail market share has fallen below 50 %.
• The entry and consolidation of new operators and business models— the creation of MasOrange, Zegona’ s acquisition of Vodafone, the growth of Digi, and the role of wholesale operators such as Onivia and Lyntia— have diversified the
“ The regulation of this market is key to ensuring competition and maintaining the high level of fibre optic availability.” offering and strengthened competition.
• The development of commercial agreements between operators, which has driven the deployment of high-capacity networks and expanded retail options for consumers. To ensure an orderly transition to the new regulatory environment, the CNMC has established a six-month transition period, during which current obligations regarding NEBA Local and NEBA Fibre services will remain in place.
Following the deregulation of the wholesale fixed-line broadband markets now approved by the CNMC and the closure of the copper exchanges in May 2025, access to the physical infrastructure( pipes, poles, etc.) will be the only wholesale service that Telefónica must continue to provide under conditions regulated by the CNMC for the residential market.
The regulation of this market is key to ensuring competition and maintaining the high level of fibre optic availability. In this context, the CNMC is reviewing the specific conditions under which Telefónica must provide access to its physical infrastructure in the next regulatory period in two parallel proceedings: on the one hand, the analysis of the market for access to physical infrastructure and, on the other, the evaluation of a commitment proposal submitted by Telefónica in relation to said market.
Until this analysis is completed, the current conditions for access to Telefónica’ s physical infrastructure, as outlined in the MARCo offer— including its prices, recently revised by the CNMC— remain in effect.
As of the first half of 2025, Telefónica operated Spain’ s largest fibre network, covering approximately 32m. However, in terms of broadband subscribers, MasOrange leads the market with a 38 % share, followed by Telefónica( 32.2 %), Vodafone( 14.1 %) and Digi( 10.5 %), according to CNMC data for the end of 2024.
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has appointed Matthew O’ Shea as technology director for its production arm, ITV Studios. O’ Shea, a skilled technologist with over 30 years of experience in technology and business transformation, will report into Simon Farnsworth, ITV CTO, and David McGraynor, chief operating officer, ITV Studios. He will lead a team responsible for the design, implementation, and support of technology solutions that enable ITV Studios to produce and deliver world-class content efficiently and effectively.
In this pivotal role, O’ Shea will shape and deliver the technology strategy that underpins ITV Studios’ content creation, production, and distribution. This includes digital transformation initiatives to optimise workflows and enhance content delivery, creating new business opportunities and will work closely with other Technology teams within ITV.
O’ Shea’ s previous role was director of group technology platforms at ITV. He joined ITV in 2011, having previously worked at the BBC and the Home Office.
“ Matt has played a pivotal role in modernising ITV’ s infrastructure and leading our transformation to the cloud,” commented Farnsworth.“ He brings to this new role a strong expertise in technology transformation and I’ m excited for both him and the ITV Studios technology team as he takes on this new role.”
“ Technology is at the heart of our More than TV strategy, and Matt’ s appointment is a significant step in ensuring ITV Studios remains at the forefront of content creation and distribution,” added McGraynor.“ His expertise will be crucial in empowering our teams with the right tools to succeed in the future.”
O’ Shea said he was“ thrilled” to be joining ITV Studios at such a dynamic time for the industry, with the opportunity to shape and deliver the technology strategy for the operation“ a huge privilege”.
EUROMEDIA 5