BT Group
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Marketing
BT brand to retain consumer spot after strategy rethink
BT to keep titular brand running alongside EE in the consumer space, reversing a decision to scrap the BT marque. Move reportedly made to retain “older customers” familiar with legacy branding, as BT faces imminent migration of customers onto newer services…
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Innovation (R&D)
BT further sharpens networks focus with innovation strategy shift
MWC 2025: BT Business director Hena Jalil outlines shift in innovation approach to align with broader shift to focus on connectivity rather than non-core verticals. Group continues to build AI expertise in search of new network features and products.
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People
BT Peoplewatch: B2B shaken up, ExCo slimmed down
20+ senior and strategic changes across the Group, including: Corporate & Brand lead leaves the top team after just six months; Business overhaul continues; VM O2 exec brought in to lead Mobile at EE; more from the Etc. and innovation fall out…
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M&A
BT kicks off talks to exit TNT Sports venture — report
Group reportedly at early stages of discussions to offload 50% stake in venture to Warner Bros. Discovery. Move previously hinted at by BT chief Allison Kirkby, as part of strategy to remove non-core distractions from the operator…
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Innovation (R&D)
BT to create unified innovation function as Division X, Etc. combine
Group seeks to “sharpen” connectivity focus and meet evolving customer needs with new innovation team, under the watch of Tom Meakin’s Strategy & Change team. Longstanding Etc. chief Tom Guy leaves the Group, while Business’s Division X joins forces with the ‘startup from within’…
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M&A
BT offloads Irish B2B unit to Cordiant’s Speed Fibre
BT strikes deal with investment group to sell enterprise and wholesale units to Speed Fibre, with completion expected later this year. Move advances CEO Allison Kirkby’s agenda to pare back BT’s international presence, following earlier news of Irish data centre sale…
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M&A
BT Ireland grabs Cordiant’s attention for infra, wholesale sell-off — report
Operator reportedly looking to firm up sale of infrastructure and wholesale business units “in the coming weeks”, advancing Kirkby’s ‘asset-light’ strategy following recent sale of Irish data centres…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: healthtech flatlines; real-world network slicing
Latest from BT and its ecosystem as Etc. shutters healthtech and resets EV charging; BT’s Division X marks network slicing milestone; 2G closure prep work begins; and EE learns its ESN vendor peers…
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Strategy & Change
BT shuts healthtech incubator as digital unit Etc. changes shape
‘Startup from within’ Etc. refocuses on a handful of more promising verticals, leaving healthtech out of future plans and prompting a change of tack for EV R&D. Comes amid wider innovation and incubation change at BT Group…
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Network & Infrastructure
BT seeks smooth B2B transition with 2G switch-off
Group seeks to ensure business customers’ transition from 2G to modern networks is as seamless as possible, as networks chief Howard Watson announces prep to support them in the process.
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: AI leadership overhaul; Openreach turns to intent-based networking
Latest from BT as New Year people changes make for evolution at BT Digital; Openreach taps government grant funding for more rural fibre contracts; India promoted as more than just an engineering outpost; and Nokia takes a central spot in Openreach SDN…
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People
BT Data & AI chief Deepika Adusumilli exits
BT now ‘working through’ leadership requirements in data space after confirmation of Chief Data & AI Officer’s departure.
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People
BT Peoplewatch: Group brings in more consultancy high-flyers
30+ senior and strategic moves across BT and its ecosystem, including another handful of joiners from EY and McKinsey to lead the transformation agenda; another significant Data & AI switch; security swaps in Europe; and a pair of BT Defence changes…
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Products & Services
BT targeting healthcare with collaborative approach
BT registering new hy healthtech trademark, as Etc. incubator develops niche with partners.
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Network & Infrastructure
Aging PSTN blots UK network resilience
As UK policymakers scrutinise infrastructure resilience, equipment failures in the old public switched telephone network (PSTN) have led a recent rise in outages.
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People
BT Peoplewatch: Group appoints two execs to manage Big Tech alliances
20+ senior and strategic moves in and around BT, including new faces to lead the Group’s Big Tech and hyperscaler alliances at Group level and in Business. Plus, all change for Consumer/EE exec team and transformation appointments at Consumer and Business. Plenty more…
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Venturing & Investments
BT exits startup Distributed, two years after £30m bet
Harmeen Mehta-era £30m commitment to BVI-bound software engineering talent-on-demand startup comes to an inauspicious end. DSTBTD’s FY23 financials indicate cash-strapped operation…
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People
Allera exits BT with ‘New EE’ story half-written, Gillies may turn the page
BT Consumer boss, and the face of the Group’s flagship New EE brand, set to depart at end of March 2025. Bell Canada’s Claire Gillies is to take his place. Move marks next management shake-up as Kirkby continues to implement new BT agenda…
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People
BT appoints ex-Verizon exec Rima Qureshi to Board
BT beefs up telco sector expertise in the boardroom with appointment of Rima Qureshi, who forged her telecoms career over 30 years at Ericsson and Verizon.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT’s Campbell McClean: ‘common lexicon’, shared vision at the heart of modern telco–vendor collaboration
Chief Architect speaking with Blue Planet counterpart, and drawing on wide-ranging career, says BT’s Digital and Networks teams operate with vendors in ‘grey space’, drawing on language underpinned by TM Forum initiatives to support customers’ goals. Read more…