All BT Group articles – Page 52
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Partner Markets: Altice rolls into BT
MTS surfs tower spin-out wave; SoftBank boosted by digital shift and gets strategic with LEO satellite venture OneWeb.
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M&A
BT’s uninvited new co-pilot: what’s Drahi’s mission?
Altice buys minority stake but claims no intention of full-fledged takeover. Seeks to support BT’s strategic fibre, for which Drahi has genuine zeal. BTwatch explores industrial logic and financial machinations behind move.
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Profile
Which Drahi has BT got itself entangled with?
Altice empire expands into UK. Drahi: a fibre visionary or ruthless financer? Does BT investment represent change of tack by rapacious wheeler-dealer?
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M&A
BT quietly divests Boingo Wireless interest
Telco offloads small minority stake in Boingo. US wireless internet service provider recently subsumed by Digital Colony.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT seeks South African alternatives after partner breakup
Group abruptly severs ties with longstanding partner Sekunjalo, but is under pressure to remain compliant with the country’s black economic empowerment agenda.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT puzzles over end-to-end quantum security
Optical expert optimistic about upcoming commercial availability of QKD and “global” satellite distribution of crypto keys. How to protect the terrestrial “bit in the middle” against quantum-computing hacks still uncertain. Due diligence needed on Arqit’s QuantumCloud. Lord confident UK can tap into EU funding, despite Brexit.
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People
Fairhead added to BT Chair candidate list — report
Former International Trade Minister and HSBC Chair Rona Fairhead has emerged as a contender to replace the outgoing Jan du Plessis. Shortlist-creation reportedly still in its early stages.
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach doubles rural fibre targets
Infrastructure business targets six million premises passed with full-fibre by 2025, aided by recruitment drive and enhanced investment. 4.8 million total premises passed so far, but no word on rural progress. Collaboration with government and fellow builders key to hitting goals.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT taps into Salesforce on enterprise CX
BT’s Amit Sharma provides insights into the Group’s collaboration with Salesforce on the implementation of Open APIs. Aim is to create a more automated, digitally-led customer experience for enterprises. Project sees adoption of iterative approach, with less ‘big bang’.
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Premium
BT people moves: new Director of Healthcare to lead NHS drive
Sultan Mahmud brought in to lead on NHS partnership and estate digitalisation, drawing on experience as innovation guru in NHS Trusts. Strategy & Transformation team appointments at Consumer. Ex-Vodafone exec appointed Group Treasury Director.
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Strategy & Change
Höttges takes swipe at rivals over undisciplined “adventures”
DT Chief Executive indicates that spending billions on sports rights is a risky business. Part-DT-owned BT criticised for stretching itself on football content acquisition.
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Strategy & Change
TM Forum puts skills gap in focus on the Human Factor
Organisation warns that the telecoms industry risks losing the war on attracting new talent.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT heads to the quantum cloud with Arqit
Group backs QuantumCloud developed by UK startup, which purports to provide QKD security protection to end-point devices over the cloud. BT named exclusive reseller of Arqit’s products in the UK.
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Interview
Openreach Tech team powers UK fibre build
CTIO Colin Lees shares impact of tech overhaul on network build. More effort on provisioning and repair in three-year transformation project. Openreach owns IT and Network strategy decisions; BT Digital and BT Networks are key suppliers. Three-supplier strategy for FTTP advances with Adtran, Huawei and Nokia.
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Network & Infrastructure
Cornerstone to pilot City of London 5G upgrade
“City-wide” open access network being explored. Joint venture’s 2017 contract now appears to include 5G. Deployment will depend on the outcome of trials.
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Premium
Destination: new BT; ETA 2026
Jansen again evangelising glorious digital future: five-year timescale reiterated, with promises of peak fibre investment passing and financial nirvana arriving. Stability predicted for FY21–22. Investors more interested in gruel on today’s menu rather than jam promised tomorrow. The court of public opinion may ultimately rule on five-year tax dodge. ...
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Public Affairs
BT re-enters union talks, with strike action looming large
BT gets “serious” in negotiations with CWU and is said to have halted redundancies — for now. Union looking to secure assurances on job security for “all” members. Proposed ballot to go ahead in early-June if talks come to nothing.
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Digital Reports
BTwatch Report #324 – May 2021
Key stories include: BT Sport warms up for sale | Sourced flaunts digital smarts | Quantum apocalypse nears | Vena targets production ‘evolution’ | Fortinet secures SD-WAN.
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People
Inglis out as BT continues Board refresh
Another Board change as Mike Inglis, six-year Non-Executive Director, readies for his departure later this year. Sara Weller to (partly) fill his shoes on committees.
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Suppliers & SCM
BT buys into blockchain-based vendor monitoring group
Tech-led transformation of telco’s procurement operations continues via adoption of IBM-backed Trust Your Supplier system. Group joins Vodafone, DT, and Verizon in backing new scheme. Move support category-aligned setup of standalone ProcureCo in Dublin.