i was wondering if anyone out there had any strong views? this company appears to be delivering and has just turned EBITA positive after a great trading statement last week. seems like upside to +200p once results are out.

any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

maybe the 2003-4 rally was a bear market spike! heaven forbid...

Lets hope not! Maybe the markets will pick up once the election is out of the way. Last years late rally seemed to coincide with the ending of the US election. Or maybe I'll just get my bucket and spade out and head to the beach all summer!

sounds like a swell idea!

news..obviously ESY has its fingers in the right pie...

C&W to invest 190 mln stg in UK network over next 3 years UPDATE
AFX


(Adding more details, analyst comment, background)



LONDON (AFX) - UK telecoms group Cable & Wireless PLC said it would spend around 190 mln stg over the next three years on overhauling its domestic network.

C&W's traditional switch-based network will be transformed into a next-generation' platform founded on internet protocol technology. The overhaul will save the company some 50 mln stg by 2006, and improve the services it can offer to customers, said the company in a statement.

'After a period of intense focus on fixing the legacy issues, we are now moving our attention to building our competitive position in the UK,' said chief executive Francesco Caio.

'Continued dialogue with our customers confirms that in all segments demand is rapidly shifting towards IP and broadband services,' he said.

Analysts said the creation of an IP-network is absolute crucial to the turn-around of its ailing UK business, which is struggling to compete in the cut-throat market for corporate telecoms services.

'C&W is playing catch-up and they simply must invest in an IP-network if they are to stay (competitive) in the UK,' said one analyst, who asked to speak off the record.

Competitors like Thus Group PLC, Colt Telecom Group PLC and Easynet Group PLC all have 'next-generation' networks, while BT Group PLC has already outlined its plans to create for an IP-based network, called the 21st Century Network.

C&W also revealed that its consumer broadband wing, Bulldog, would reach its target of 'unbundling' 400 BT local exchanges by May this year -- some 7 months ahead of schedule.

Unbundling is the process by which telecoms groups install their own equipment at local exchanges, allowing them to offer high-speed internet access at much cheaper rates than if they 'rented' access from BT.

Cable & Wireless said the main benefits of switching to IP-based network would be to enhance the services it could offer to business and residential customers.

It also said that it would switch to its new platform before BT's 21st Century Network comes on line, 'offering our customers the opportunity to migrate to new services ahead of BT'.

Aside from the 50 mln stg headline cost savings outlined by C&W, the new network would produce annual cost savings of around 23 mln, it said.

The 190 mln outlay is some 35 mln higher than its original capital expenditure plans, added C&W.

By 2.40 am, C&W shares were 2-1/4 pence higher at 125-1/2.

simon.duke@afxnews.com

sd/tc



COPYRIGHT

to clarify the above..C&W is GOING to build a 21CN.

ESY ALREADY HAS ONE.

point reiterated. ESY to be bid for????? ramp ramp ramp!

Cheers for flagging this up, I missed the CW announcement earlier. Some decent sized trades here today. Bring on a bid! At some point this year perhaps.

yup..5 million traded, even though some rolls, is huge vol

Deutse have upped their stake by 0.75% :-))

Easynet Group PLC
22 April 2005


Letter to Easynet Group PLC

EASYNET GROUP PLC
DISCLOSURE UNDER SECTION 198-202 UK COMPANIES ACT 1985 (as amended)

Further to our letter of 14 February, 2005, and in accordance with Sections
198-202 of the Companies Act 1985, we write on behalf of Deutsche Bank AG, to
inform you that, on the basis that the relevant issued share capital of your
company is 120,169,236 ordinary shares, Deutsche Bank AG and its subsidiary
companies have a notifiable interest in the shares of 14.17%. The total interest
is in 17,031,525 shares registered in the names and in the amounts as set out in
the attached Schedule.

Companies within the Group acting as Fund Managers hold some of the shares on
behalf of a number of clients whose portfolios are managed on a discretionary
basis.

Deutsche Bank AG is a corporation domiciled in Frankfurt, Germany, of which
Deutsche Bank AG London is a branch.

From DEUTSCHE BANK AG LONDON



EASYNET GROUP PLC
0.04 ORDINARY SHARES

Held as Principal No. of Shares
Deutsche Bank AG London 4,826,500

Held in Client Portfolios
Bank of New York Nominees 810,000
DWS Investment GmbH 365,000
State Street Nominees 11,030,025

TOTAL 17,031,525

20 April, 2005



This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

come on 100p. AGM next week. hopefully some news out then.

rgds
CP

Easynet Group PLC
26 April 2005

26 April 2005



Easynet Group Plc

Annual General Meeting - Chairman's Statement


London, UK - Speaking today at the Annual General Meeting of Easynet Group Plc
(LSE:ESY), ('Easynet' or 'the Company'), the pan-European Broadband networking
company, the Chairman, Keith Todd, said:


'I am pleased with the company's continued progress both in the corporate
networking business and in the UK local loop business. Our continued progress
means that we are on target given our existing plans to turn cash flow positive
by the end of June this year and to turn EBIT positive by the end of December
2005. The core business of providing managed IP networks across Europe continues
to perform well. Recent additions to the customer base include Epson, Psion
TekLogix, Blagden Packaging and Paramount, and we secured additional further
business from Applied BioSystems, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Agilent.



In the U.K local loop business, we have made some minor extensions to our 21Cn*
LLU footprint since the beginning of the year based on our Leased Line
replacement service Surestream (R), and have invested in upgrading our
infrastructure to service volume consumer demand both indirectly through our
wholesale product LLUStream and directly through UKOnline (our wholly owned
consumer subsidiary). We have also been trialling a 24Mbs service on our local
loops and expect to launch this during the second half of the year.



We have had a positive response to our LLUStream wholesale product from the
industry and are pleased to announce that we have secured a contract today to
provide LLUStream to Freedom2surf, a leading independent national ISP in the
U.K. (
www.f2s.com),
having signed up several smaller ISP's for the service
already.



Under the UK Online brand we have been testing customer demand and processes for
delivering high volumes of LLU customers. On the 13th April 2005, we launched
our market leading 9.99 offer for a 512k broadband service on our own loops,
having launched previously the fastest service in the U.K. at 8Mbs. Early take
up and process results have been encouraging.



We will continue to monitor our wholesale and consumer product developments and
update the market as our plans in those areas develop.



* 21cn A fully owned and managed layer 2 and 3 national MPLS and IP network



For further information, please contact:


Easynet Group Plc Tel: 020 7900 4700
David Rowe, Chief Executive Officer
Will Gardiner, Chief Financial Officer
Anne Perry, Press Office Tel: 0800 053 4004


gcg hudson sandler Tel: 020 7796 4133
Andrew Hayes / Sandrine Gallien / Wendy Baker




Notes to Editors:



About Easynet Group Plc

Easynet is a leading pan-European Broadband networking company, providing
customers across Europe with innovative, IP-based wide area networking
solutions.



Easynet is focused on providing IP solutions that enable organisations to
enhance their own profitability. The Easynet European network covers ten
countries, allowing companies to connect all their European sites to a high
quality, secure and reliable IP VPN service with class of service, essential to
the deployment of Voice over IP (VoIP).



Easynet Group Plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Information about
Easynet can be found at
www.easynet.com

new contracts, financials on track and LLU roll out going well.

A positive statement I would say, on target to go cash flow positive, new European contracts, Freedom2surf and encouraging early take up of UK online.

This part is interesting:

"We have also been trialling a 24Mbs service on our local
loops and expect to launch this during the second half of the year."

Would this be the quickest service in the UK? Could be a good earner if businesses and other organisations use it.

Also, Deutsche upped their holding again yesterday to 15.21%.

all good. i emailed the company about the 24mbp and i think it could be the fastest service anywhere.

all on course, and hopefully some news coverage will take things higher.

rgds
PT

Nice one. I think it must be the fastest in the UK at present so hopefully it will get a lot of interest. I was quite happy with the statement but it seems one analyst was not as happy. I would also argue that Deutsche upping their holding again is another positive.

which analyst was not happy? i heard the agm comments were well recieved.

Don't know which one exactly but found this earlier.

http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_794814.html

If as you say agm comments went down well, then I would assume that perhaps it is just the one analyst who wasn't as happy with the statement. I read it as positive though.

Just found this on Sharecast:

Company snap: Easynet expects positive results
Tue 26 Apr 2005

ESY - Easynet

Latest Prices
Name Price %
Easynet 87.50p +1.16%

FTSE All-Share 2,426 -0.56%
FTSE Small Cap 2,876 -0.36%
techMARK 1,105 -0.27%
techMARK 100 1,117 -0.18%
Telecommunications Services 2,754 -0.82%

LONDON (SHARECAST) - Pan-European broadband networking company Easynet expects to turn cash flow turn positive by the end of June this year and report an operating profit by end of December, it told shareholders today.

Chairman Keith Todd said the core business of providing IP networks across Europe is continuing to perform well and the group has made recent additions to its customer base.

"We have had a positive response to our LLUStream wholesale product from the industry and are pleased to announce that we have secured a contract today to provide LLUStream to Freedom2surf,"

a bit of a non-statement. Cables are a 3bn company...great that they are in out backyard here...

Snippet form an artcile today on the Register:

"Middlesbrough-based ISP Onyx was the first to sign up to the service and now independent outfit Freedom2Surf has been named as Easynet's second customer.

And there are "others in the pipeline" apparently, although it seems some ISPs have been too shy to go public on their tie-up with Easynet.

Speaking at the company's AGM today chairman Keith Todd said: "We have had a positive response to our LLUStream wholesale product from the industry and are pleased to announce that we have secured a contract today to provide LLUStream to Freedom2surf...having signed up several smaller ISP's for the service already."

A spokeswoman for the telco declined to say which other ISPs had signed up but insisted that Easynet had contacted around 100 service providers so far to punt the wholesale alternative to BT."


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/26/easynet_llu/

great snippet. thx gavdfc.