All Openreach articles
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Network & InfrastructureScottish islands’ fibre upgrade is a wrap
Residents of 15 islands to get “Gigabit” connectivity under Reaching 100 initiative. Government update says all 16 subsea links involved in project now laid, and finishing work taking place. Challenges for engineers included circumventing stray explosives and protecting wildlife.
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Operations
Telecoms pay falling behind inflation despite union efforts
Workers’ wages growing slower than inflation, even with recent pay hike successes.
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Public Affairs
BT and CWU look to bury the hatchet with “cost-of-living pay rise”
From 1 January 2023, all BT workers in the UK earning less than £50,000 a year will receive pay rise of £1,500.
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Operations
Telefónica speeds up closure of copper exchanges
Higher energy prices increase urgency of replacing copper accesses with more energy-efficient fibre.
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People
Latest BT people moves: architects and service leads brought in at Networks
John Morgan appointed BT Enterprise Finance Director after stint as interim Corporate & Public Sector Finance Director at Enterprise.
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach’s Selley: FTTP ‘not slowing down’ as connections become priority
Openreach prioritising net adds over premises passed as primary KPI for full-fibre rollout programme.
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach reworks fibre building contracts for better “bang for its buck”
Reports suggest renewed focus on near-term project completion at expense of long-term supplier contracts.
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Operations
Openreach tentative on 2030 target for EV transition
Head of Sustainability Abby Chicken unpacks struggles with EV infrastructure and affordability.
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M&A
FTTP buyer’s guide: consolidation rife among UK altnets
Fibre-building upstarts and established incumbents target multimillion-premises infrastructure within next several years, putting M&A on agenda for many.
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Financial & Performance
BT conscious of energy storm, seeks staff benefits
While CFO Lowth flags work with UK government to brace for energy shortages; CEO Jansen reserves subsidies for cost-of-living help.
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Network & Infrastructure
UK fibre builders buckle up safety standards
SHiFT group to set common safety standards for fibre networks.
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Financial & Performance
H1 FY22–23: BT “on the front foot” as Jansen battles cost and competitive pressures
BT increases fibre investment while calling on divisions to find further efficiencies. City’s response to ostensibly reasonable performance is another custard pie; at low point, shares down nearly 11%.
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Public Affairs
BT reports 40k broadband user hit from industrial action
Openreach broadband base down 89,000 in Q2, with strikes having significant impact.
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach paves way for 1.8Gbps fibre
Tiered FTTP services trialled in Swansea ahead of 2023 launch.
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People
BT people moves: Technology changes continue with new CFO
Technology CFO John Beswick departs with Ed Briggs installed at Digital as the latest in the division’s overhaul.
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People
Opinion: Networks’ succession the final piece in recasting ‘New BT’
Domineering Chief Architect understood to be moving on; ironically, next stop rumoured to be IT-land. (Departure not yet officially confirmed, but follows months of rumours.) Updated to include coverage of Neil McRae’s own chronicle of his time and achievements at BT.
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Network & Infrastructure
Openreach plans faster FTTP speeds, new ONT
Upcoming trials of download speeds in excess of 1Gbps reportedly planned.
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People
BT people moves: TV and Sport leadership rejigs
A number of changes in the BT TV and BT Sport propositions team follow finalisation of Warner Bros. Discovery transaction.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Openreach: UK Government to help “fast-track” fibre engineers
Government launches review of visa system to “fast‑track” immigration of foreign fibre engineers; TalkTalk looks beyond Openreach for suppliers.
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Network & Infrastructure
Mesch: fibre facing its ‘dotcom bubble’ moment
CityFibre CEO anticipates a period of rationalisation that will see the unprepared go to the wall, but a stronger altnet sector emerge.
