BTwatch News – Page 42
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M&AWill Drahi come knocking on BT’s door?
Six months on from French billionaire’s surprise raid on BT, Altice UK now free to up its stake or mount a takeover bid. Jansen called in for meeting with UK government minister to get the lowdown on Drahi’s intentions.
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Suppliers & SCMOpenreach urges Vauxhall to build British ‘green’ fleet
Clive Selley, Openreach CEO, “in talks” with Vauxhall owner Stellantis to increase production of electric vehicles at its UK plant. Vauxhall supplies Openreach’s 28,000-strong commercial van fleet, which will be ‘green’ by 2030. 1,000 EVs currently on the road in Openreach livery.
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Public AffairsBT slammed for lack of action on spoofing
IP altnet pokes incumbent over limited success in rooting out fraudulent use of caller ID. BT focused on industry collaboration to address fraud challenge. Migration to all-IP by 2025 portrayed as critical to effective remedies for the problem.
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Innovation (R&D)DCMS allocates £36m in R&D funding for 5G projects
Future RAN competition rewards 15 companies, including four BT partners. UK government distributes funds as part of its Supply Chain Diversification Strategy. Also sets target for 35% of UK mobile network traffic to be carried via open RAN by 2030. 2G, 3G expected to be retired by 2033 at ...
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Network & InfrastructureAltnets prep fibre wholesale platforms to rival Openreach
Two platforms aim to create full-fibre marketplaces for altnets and resellers. Signs of confederation among the UK’s 80-plus altnets, as wholesale competition heats up. Platforms facilitate Project Gigabit wholesale mandates and One-Touch Switching.
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M&ABT Sport mulls Discovery JV as DAZN buyout stalls
Discovery in talks with BT over sports broadcasting partnership. Deal would offer strong alternative to DAZN’s £600m buyout attempt.
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Enterprise (B2B)Dublin up: BT Ireland relocates B2B support
Move of service desk ops furthers expansion of BT’s workforce in Dublin. Transfer forms latest step in long-running customer experience transformation programme. Deep-Insight advising BT Ireland on customer-centric strategies.
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PremiumEquinox takes off as legal challenge looms
Openreach touts better-than-expected FTTP offer take-up. Equinox aimed at accelerating full-fibre adoption, but altnets could spoil the party with legal action.
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PremiumElsewhere in Openreach: Ofcom lays down the law
Copper exchange stop-sell progress; Ofcom lays down USO law.
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PremiumH1 FY21–22: Openreach enters fibre build phase two
Lonely position as sole BT unit posting positive results for the half year. CEO Clive Selley confident of future return on investment: FTTP rollout moving ahead of expectations; uptake supported by Equinox pricing deal and growing consumer demand.
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OperationsJansen hopes to get BT on front foot with new HQ
BT’s new HQ opens after more than a year of delays. Jansen aims to remove “hierarchical” business format.
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M&AReliance denies interest in acquiring BT stake
BT share price jumps on report that Indian conglomerate eyeing a move for UK incumbent. Reliance quick to dismiss the article as “completely speculative and baseless”, but City still excited.
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PremiumBT targets financial services with Cloud Control
BT’s Cloud Control for Financial Services aims to help firms take a ‘controlled approach’ to adopting cloud. Move builds on company’s pre-existing partnerships with public cloud providers.
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PremiumH1 FY21–22: Jansen trusts BT Global plan, despite setbacks
CEO focuses on the strategy, rather than current performance, to paint a picture of a viable future for the MNC-focused digital solutions unit. NPS remains a bright spot for Global, highlighting material gains from the BT transformation plan. Declining margins suggest work still to be done on recovery.
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Partnerships & AlliancesBT renews Middle Eastern partnerships
Long-running R&D tie-up gets extended, with BT’s engagement with Etisalat and Khalifa University stretching a further five years. BT Applied Research MD Tim Whitley among those involved.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Enterprise: Shuter boasts RNLI collab
BT recognised for managed services improvements; Shuter boasts of RNLI partnership.
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PremiumOfcom seeks to protect BT public phone boxes
Regulator estimates that 6,000 BT kiosks have been converted under Adopt a Kiosk scheme. Stricter rules could protect about 5,000 phone boxes. Ofcom proposes other changes to USO including fax support and directories.
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PremiumH1 FY21–22: Legacy still a drag on BT Enterprise
Legacy declines continued to outpace new service and digital growth, while mobile wholesale losses dimmed Q2 performance. EBITDA performance buoyed by lower costs. Jansen remains confident in Enterprise’s ability to grow again as CEO Rob Shuter’s organisational changes and new operating model take shape.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Consumer: Plusnet issues persist
More cricket on the schedule; Smart Benefits portfolio bolstered; and Plusnet email issues persist.
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PremiumCompelling 5G use-cases still to come, says EE
EE brand director concedes 5G marketing more difficult than when 4G arrived. Anticipates “a lot” of the 5G use-cases will not arrive in the short term. Next phase of rollout plan begins with indoor launch.