Eurobites: Allison Kirkby to take over as BT CEO in February

BT has confirmed its incoming CEO Allison Kirkby will be moving into her new office on February 1, when she takes over the top job from Philip Jansen. Kirkby's appointment was announced in July last year, with no firm date specified at the time. (Read more here: BT plays it safe with naming of Allison Kirkby as next CEO.)

Neutral host company Freshwave will provide its connectivity-as-a-service solution to developer Landsec's mixed-use project, Lucent. Those lucky enough to be resident at Lucent, located right behind the giant billboard dubbed Piccadilly Lights in – you guessed it – Piccadilly Circus, will not have to worry about coverage as the solution includes 4G from all four UK operators.

Vodafone Portugal has opened the applications for its test bed, Vodafone Boost Lab. Created together with innovation consultancy Beta-i, the project seeks to test and validate 5G technology from start-ups and small to medium-size companies that could be deployed on the operator's network. Vodafone will work with selected companies and mobilize its network of reference firms to develop pilots by this summer. Applications are open until January 21.

An unnamed UK fund with backing from UBS and Barclays has joined the race to acquire Altice Portugal, according to reporting by Portuguese newspaper Jornal Económico. It joins what is already looking like a crowded field, with Apollo, Warburg and Iliad's Xavier Niel also reportedly interested. Altice is said to be seeking offers of at least €7 billion (US$7.7 billion) to sell the unit's core operations. Altice Portugal is at the center of an alleged corruption scandal revealed last year, with Altice co-founder Armando Pereira placed under house arrest. (Read more: Drahi in 'shock' over Altice corruption probe.)

Orange Money Mali customers can now receive transfers from countries in TerraPay's network, thanks to a partnership between the two companies announced today. They are now able to send money to more than 210 countries and receive transfers from 120 countries. The companies have stressed the ease with which clients can cash out their money or use it for everyday transactions as a highlight of the partnership.

UK critical network infrastructure provider Neos Networks has announced users of its fiber-based managed dedicated Internet access (DIA) will now enjoy standard speeds of 10 Gbit/s. This solution targets organizations, offering them sole Internet access, which Neos claims eliminates shared network woes such as congestion.