Latest BT Insight – Page 2
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Financial & Performance
Q1 In depth: BT boss claims ‘solid start’ despite shaky numbers
Q1 FY25–26: CEO Allison Kirkby persistent in long term strategy, but first quarter results put things in perspective. BT Business the usual headache; BT Consumer finds positives despite the headlines; and Openreach cements its reputation as a resilient source of resilient good news…
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Financial & Performance
Q1 Guidance: BT unmoved by early trouble
Q1 FY25–26: Management reconfirms full-year guidance, with defiance made easier thanks to pessimistic outlook as laid out three months prior. Vague notions of ‘growth’ remain the target by the end of the decade…
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Financial & Performance
Q1 FY25–26: Openreach fibre machine keeps rolling
Access services business keeping up its relentless build pace, while connections are soaring. UK fibre’s pre-eminent multi-tasker shows build can be accelerated alongside strong take-up, but broadband losses continue to mount in the meantime…
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People
BT poaches VM O2 finance chief as Lowth’s exit confirmed
Patricia Cobian, CFO at Virgin Media O2, is to join rival BT next year, with current CFO Simon Lowth set to retire. BT CEO Allison Kirkby said Cobian brings “invaluable” experience that will help drive BT’s transformation and strategy…
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Analyst Reports
BTwatch Analyst Report #366 - July 2025
Key stories include: Procurement: Pourrat wants more AI, faster | BT embraces third-party IT support | Shared Rural Network pared back | BT ‘investing heavily’ as ESN motors on | Openreach hunted by maturing altnet pack | and much more…
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People
BT CFO Simon Lowth readies for departure — report
Succession planning underway as reports indicate Lowth will leave within a year, closing out a decade-long tenure and teeing up yet another change to Allison Kirkby’s executive leadership team…
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Network & Infra
TAR 2026: altnets, Openreach rail against ‘puzzling’ regulatory misstep
In a rare show of alignment, Ofcom’s Telecoms Access Review re-zoning proposals get a sledging from altnets and the incumbent as the UK’s fibre industry unites to vent frustration at potential regulatory framework update…
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Public Affairs
Ofcom yields, slashes UK spectrum fees — MNOs demand more
£60m annual reduction sees regulator modify ALF regime and tease softening of spectrum trading regime, but fails to silence criticism that move does not go far enough. Operators lobbying for Treasury to reinvest remaining £270m windfall back into rural 5G…
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People
BT Peoplewatch: Consumer and Business bosses take boardroom seats
30+ senior and strategic changes at BT, including a treasury replacement; more International swaps as the new B2B division gets settled; new boardroom digs for Marc Allera; more…
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Public Affairs
UK Court of Appeal sides with operators in latest Phones 4u ruling
The UK Court of Appeal has decisively ruled against Phones 4u’s long-running allegations of collusion among major operators, leaving the retailer to consider its final legal options and face substantial costs…
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Innovation
BT opens up key testing platform to startup as it pursues quantum collaboration
Sheffield-based quantum encryption hardware specialist Sitehop tests and integrates its solution on the Gemini facility at Adastral Park.
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Deep Dive
UK Fibre: altnet optimism vindicated over time as take-up erodes incumbent dominance
In depth: Eight Advisory’s latest Tracker shines light on altnet challenge to Openreach, with mature cohorts reaching parity and fibre insurgency continuing amidst land-grab tactics. TelcoTitan’s analysis explores linear trajectory of upstarts, impact of overbuild, continued testing of investor patience, and whether the UK can truly sustain more than two major platforms…
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Suppliers & SCM
Vendor rebellion: why major operators are ditching Oracle and VMware support contracts
BT and Telefónica are the first of numerous telcos to go on the record challenging software vendor dominance by shifting legacy IT support to third-party specialists. This analysis explores how Spinnaker Support is helping them slash costs, extend end-of-life IT, and reallocate resources…
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Technology
A Pragmatist’s Guide to Telco AI: BT and Zayo on getting data right, winning fast, riding the wave
From data foundations, sidestepping common pitfalls, and rapid experimentation, to real-world use cases, scalable growth, and building profit centres. Actionable insights and proven strategies for how AI is being harnessed to transform telecoms, drive operational excellence, unlock new revenue
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Network & Infra
UK gov pares back Shared Rural Network targets in strategic rethink
Building Digital UK scales back plans for further rural 4G coverage expansion after hitting initial Shared Rural Network targets early. Strategy shift comes after discussions with local communities and interest groups, with BDUK aiming to maximise coverage while delivering “best value for public money”.
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Network & Infra
VM O2, VodafoneThree firm up €401m spectrum deal to redress the ‘imbalance’
Following VodafoneThree’s merger completion, VM O2 outlines the spectrum it plans to acquire.
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Suppliers & SCM
BT’s buying boss wants AI to move faster, looks to startups to lead the way
BT Sourced head Cyril Pourrat reflects on missed expectations around ‘speed of execution’ on AI deployments, but remains confident that the tech delivers when embraced by colleagues.
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Network & Infra
Project Reach: Freshwave, Neos seek digital infra ‘blueprint’ to power up UK rail
Freshwave and Neos Networks firm up collaboration with Network Rail and UK mobile operators to upgrade fibre and wireless infra along key UK rail routes, with funding from the likes of DigitalBridge, Infracapital, and SSE Group. Work to begin imminently, with pair hoping to develop business model “blueprint” for future deployments…
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Network & Infra
‘Fabulous’ ESN ‘back in delivery’, ticks off first milestones with EE, IBM leading the charge
CCW 2025: Home Office’s John Black, EE’s David Salam, and IBM’s Andy Doggett share a progress report on the UK’s Emergency Services Network, with optimism the prevailing mood. Early milestones checked off, infrastructure in progress, and EE looking for partners and suppliers…
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Analyst Reports
BTwatch Analyst Report #365 - June 2025
Key stories include: FY24–25: Kirkby makes her mark | BT mulls TalkTalk takeover — report | Dark NOC ambition advances with AWS | BT International told to prove its worth | Openreach reaches new capex peaks | and much more…