All Openreach articles
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PeopleLatest BT people moves: BT Digital firms up Consumer and Operations leadership
Thomas Duecke pivots from Global and Kevin Lee moves from eBay to join BT Digital’s top‑table. BT Sourced lures Fulden Sener to new Dublin offices, while Carmel McInally’s exit leaves a vacant IT Procurement post. Enterprise finance leadership changes.
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People
Openreach names new fibre delivery guy
Change at top of Fibre & Network Delivery unit as Matthew Hemmings comes in for Kevin Murphy. Internal hire sees Hemmings take lead of team focused on expanding Openreach’s UK‑wide fibre network.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT says awareness of 2025 PSTN shutdown not high enough
Senior BT Enterprise exec highlights lack of forward all‑IP planning among some critical national infrastructure organisations. Encourages all CPs to put CNI at the heart of their transformation programmes. Advocates a government-led campaign to raise PSTN shutdown awareness. Industry still grappling with how best to provide power backup and ...
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Public Affairs
Openreach gets Ofcom green light for new FTTP pricing
Cheaper “Equinox” wholesale pricing offer to start on 1 October. Ofcom confirms no action needed on Openreach offer. Fibre altnets strongly opposed and considering next steps.
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Operations
Openreach’s Selley slams “shambles” of UK EV charging market
UK’s second-biggest van owner buying electric vehicles from Spain because of lack of domestic commercial electric van manufacturing. Openreach CEO bemoans thin and unreliable charging network; says UK “behind game”. Just 600 of Openreach’s 28,000 commercial vans currently electric. CEO regards hydrogen as likely candidate for heavy vehicles.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT’s Watson highlights fibre’s central place in network ‘jigsaw’
CTO plays down fixed wireless’s role in meeting UK’s connectivity challenge. CityFibre and Hyperoptic welcome Ofcom’s WFTMR, but want Openreach to remain under strict scrutiny. Virgin Media O2 something of an elephant in the room as altnets pitch themselves as more agile rivals.
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Network & Infrastructure
CityFibre bags fresh cash injection
Openreach challenger announces fresh funds through stake sale and bond issue. Capital “enables” Project Gigabit ambitions. CityFibre’s FTTP rollout reaches 650,000 premises. Altnet momentum builds with an estimated £8bn in investment publicly promised.
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Operations
Openreach bulking up in Northern Ireland
Openreach Northern Ireland ramps up recruitment, with 16 new openings in nascent civil engineering division. Pressure is on to meet near-term FTTP rollout target. NI tops UK for ultrafast coverage.
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Strategy & Change
Altnets object to Openreach FTTP price proposal
Regulatory spat over wholesale FTTP pricing spills out into the open. Openreach says new prices offer certainty and encourage FTTP take-up. Fibre rivals claim the cheaper wholesale pricing scheme will reduce infrastructure competition and deter investment. Ofcom provisionally says no action needed, but final decision is expected by the ...
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach and Nokia trial 25Gbps FTTP technology
Other FTTP partners ADTRAN and Huawei are said to favour 50G PON.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Openreach: FTTP circuit charges increase
Charge increases for FTTP circuits; investigation into BT’s USO compliance suspended; FTTP rollout in Scottish Highlands prompts disquiet.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in BT Technology: ADTRAN acquires ADVA
BT networking partner duo join forces as ADTRAN Holdings; growing need for data fabric architecture underlined by BT’s Perkins.
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People
Latest BT people moves: Openreach appoints new Northern Ireland boss
Garret Kavanagh named Director, Northern Ireland after Openreach pledges investment and team expansion in the country. Regional changes in England and Wales see Liz Needleman add Midlands to her North of England brief. Former Enterprise CFO Graham Ritchie takes CEO spot at consultancy Ricardo.
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M&A
CityFibre eyes fresh cash injection
Press reports suggest Openreach challenger will announce fresh funds through stake sale and bond issue.
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Financial & Performance
Q1 FY21–22: Openreach shines again
It just looks so easy to upgrade and migrate the nation to fibre and IP while keeping a pack of massively funded jackals at bay. Even the odd slip looks like a sign of inherent strength. All key KPIs improving … and Gfast, too.
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Public Affairs
BT soothes relations with disgruntled CWU
BT finds common ground with workers’ union by making series of job security assurances. CWU’s Count Me In campaign bears fruit, with 2022 pay rise in pipeline for staff. Group transformation roadmap unaffected.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Openreach; expanded FTTP rollout
Openreach expands FTTP rollout, and expands cablelaying contracts to support the plans.
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M&A
DT interest Community Fibre subsumes rival
FTTP altnet backed by BT shareholder absorbs assets of smaller fibre builder. Business now looking “ beyond London ” as it continues to accelerate growth. Community Fibre’s FTTP footprint stands at 300,000 premises. Acquisition not impacting commercial operations or leadership structure of “ independent ” merger ...
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Network & Infrastructure
Jansen now sees BT chasing 30 million premises with full‑fibre
Extra five million presented as ‘infill’ and presumably more rural. Immediate competitive riposte to news of Virgin Media O2 FTTP retrofit, which it neatly doubles. Jansen says BT not concerned, but challenger altnets should be. No rush for fibre JV partner, but Jansen reveals a UK compatriot would be ...
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Partnerships & Alliances
Sky “fundamental” to BT Sport strategic partnerships
As BT’s sports broadcasting division hunts for minority investors or strategic partners, CEO Jansen puts Sky tie‑up front and centre. ITV backs away from chipping in, but remains keen on partnership.
