All Simon Lowth articles
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OperationsBT electrifies fleet, charges on with EV infra transition
The BT/Openreach fleet inches towards zero emissions with a 3,500-vehicle order from Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, and Renault, backed by gov grants. Challenges remain, but Etc.’s charging pilot rolls on with a new focus…
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach chases ‘one network’ architecture with Nokia Altiplano deployment
Access provider confirms Altiplano onboarding, adding further Nokia presence to FTTP infra.
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Weekly BriefingsBTwatch Weekly: earnings add to Kirkby’s optimism
Latest from BT as CEO Allison Kirkby uses drab half-year results to cast vision for the future; Business prepares for Global divestment; Openreach beats fibre expectations; BT riled as Vodafone–Three merger nears…
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Financial & PerformanceKirkby ‘convinced’ of BT strategic plan despite scale of challenge
Q2/H1 FY24-25: BT CEO Allison Kirkby now settled into role and aware of mountain to climb, but no less confident of the Group’s strategic direction.
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Financial & PerformanceIn-depth: change is coming at BT, ‘trust me’
Q2/H1 FY24-25: Group CEO Allison Kirkby calls on investors to ‘trust me’ in wait for promised turnaround as revenue falters in first half of the year.
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Financial & PerformanceSpend: BT past its peak, transformation agenda in full flow
Q2/H1 FY24-25: BT capex drops as Openreach fibre build keeps spend in check.
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Financial & PerformanceGuidance: BT lowers expectations
Q2/H1 FY24-25: BT Group revises revenue outlook for the year from growth to decline.
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Financial & PerformanceOpenreach raises full-fibre target despite capex and headcount cuts
Openreach is doing more with less as it sets a higher bar for full-fibre coverage for the year while shrinking capex and cutting jobs. Learn more…
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Financial & PerformanceBT ‘pulling levers’ to account for UK Budget burden
CFO Simon Lowth puts annual additional cost at £100m for the Group, with transformation plans to be ‘brought forward’ to compensate.
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Financial & PerformanceKirkby: multinational B2B ‘ripe for consolidation’ as BT pursues exit
BT H1: mutlinational corporate segment no longer a telco’s game, says CEO Allison Kirkby, and a divestment will accelerate turnaround plans. Talks ongoing with several parties, with both Global and Portfolio channels up for sale. UK business not immune to decline in the meantime…
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Strategy & ChangeBT CEO prioritises scale as asset monetisation talks re-emerge
As BT considers options for BT Global, where scale was never achieved, CEO Allison Kirkby will use the same measure in discussions about potential portfolio changes elsewhere.
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Financial & PerformanceBT FY23−24 Highlights: Kirkby unveils sharper BT; investors finally cheer
CEO Allison Kirkby lays out her vision for change, tightening the focus of her predecessor to pitch a simpler, nimbler BT Group with a ROCE mindset differentiated by CX. Network superiority remains central as impetus shifts from build to monetisation, without easing up on the former. With B2B a stubborn drag, the one major diversion from Plan Jansen: now UK-first, Global offloaded…
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Financial & PerformanceBT FY23−24 In-depth: focus shifts from build to connections, monetisation
CEO Allison Kirkby tees up mindset shift from fibre build to networks monetisation, driving connections to grow ARPU, leveraging the sweat and spend of previous FYs. For FY23−24, consistently solid performance at Consumer and Openreach makes up for perennially painful Business…
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Financial & PerformanceBT FY23−24 Spend: capex goes post-peak; further opex savings inbound
Openreach spend declines despite record build, and more to come on both fronts in the next FY. Management tees up another £3bn cost transformation initiative, having exceeded early expectations with the last…
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Financial & PerformanceBT FY23−24 Guidance: consistency with predictable growth by decade-end
As Openreach moves beyond the money pit nadir, BT management forecasts consistent growth by the 2030s. Vague and unqualified expectation for positive momentum comes as Group leverages recent spend for good…
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Financial & PerformanceOpenreach to invade Project Gigabit, snap up altnet misfires
FY23–24: Closing in on infill Project Gigabit contracts, also eyeing altnet misfires. Line loss the new reality despite strong fibre build and take-up momentum. TelcoTitans BTwatch predicts altnets will step up, not roll over. New CEO Kirkby makes clear Openreach not for sale (yet). Read more…
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Financial & PerformanceBT Business gets UK exceptionalism vibe, with Global ops on chopping block
New CEO Allison Kirkby mulls further ‘optimisation’ opportunities in latest bid to turn around long-beleaguered B2B activities. Much-lauded new network-as-a-service proposition Global Fabric may be retained as partner play. Domestic rump not obviously a better bet, however…
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PeopleBT adds transformation expertise to board, seeks out ‘operational resilience’
Ex-Barclays finance chief Tushar Morzaria appointed to BT Board of Directors, with Chairman Adam Crozier lauding ‘corporate change’ specialism and adding further transformation expertise to the BT boardroom.
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Consumer (B2C)Inflation-linked pricing: BT drops policy ahead of expected Ofcom clampdown
Four years after he introduced CPI+ pricing to improve transparency, Marc Allera scraps the model in favour of ‘pounds and pence’ clarity.
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Financial & PerformanceBT pensions deficit way down in face of oncoming headwinds
BTPS deficit down more than 50% as management express pleasure with progress towards full funding; de-risking also in full swing, likely of interest to potential investors/takeover bidders…