All United Kingdom (UK) articles – Page 7
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Financial & Performance
BT 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 & Performance
BT 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 & Performance
BT 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 & Performance
BT 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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Strategy & Change
Yorkshire challenger Connexin tag-teaming Calix to unlock SME as ‘experience provider’
’Value-add tops megabits’: ambitious regional fibre challenger and key partner open up on winning ways at Connected North. SME segment presented as golden opportunity to strike against incumbents through solutions tailored using network and service data insights. And much more…
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Financial & Performance
New EE must wait five years to be rid of Old BT
New CEO Allison Kirkby re-confirms Jansen/Allera New EE strategy, but BT brand to limp on in Consumer at least until PSTN shutdown, with Plusnet retained as broadband b-brand. ARPU is up, but multiplay elusive as ever, subscribers still being lost, still far from walking the talk. Read more…
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Consumer (B2C)
BT delays Digital Voice switchover, revamps all-IP rollout plan
BT needs more time to complete the switch to digital landlines but hopes Digital Voice customer conversions will go hand-in-hand with full-fibre upgrades.
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Financial & Performance
Openreach 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 & Performance
BT 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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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Kirkby gathers transformation troops, but can she convince investors?
Latest from BT and its ecosystem the day before the Group’s FY23–24 results hit the screens. CEO Allison Kirkby is corralling a new squadron of incomers to drive forward her flavour of transformation for BT, but investors so far appear unconvinced. Spectrum auctions may be imminent, as real estate redevelopment nears completion, and a revitalised Corporate & Public Sector team boast a West Country win. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Infrawatch Weekly: land grabs, power-sharing, and an AI tidal wave
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK and beyond, including: plans for InfraCos to both attack and defend against challenges in the market with new land acquisition and energy plays; data centre prep for building ‘AI tidal wave’; a busy time for vendors in the evolving German infrastructure market; people moves; and plenty more…
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Operations
Openreach opens ‘snazzy’ new City HQ
BT’s access services business has moved its HQ to a new site in London, closing out a tenure at ‘tired’ King’s Cross offices.
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Innovation (R&D)
UKTIN: Why collaboration is key to driving investment in R&D for the telecoms sector
OpEd: Jon Hunt, Project Board Member at the UK Telecoms Innovation Network, sees potential easing of M&A regulation in Europe as opening a path for telcos to improve collaboration, R&D and funding efforts on an international scale, including with academia and Big Tech. Read more…
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Content & TV
Virgin Media O2 taps Amdocs for TV streaming upgrade
UK major to integrate Subscription Marketplace solution into existing content streaming and TV offering. Move builds on prior relationship with Amdocs, and wider engagement with Telefónica Group outside of the content streaming sphere…
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Financial & Performance
UK’s Digital 9 reshapes boardroom, weighs Arqiva options as wind-down progresses
Former Bank of Scotland exec Eric Sanderson named Chair to lead wind-down process, with one or more other Non-Execs to be added in near future. Steps made in asset sale but future of Arqiva stake not yet decided.
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: BT adds to concerns about Vodafone−Three UK merger, EE Finance gets Patterson’s Glow
Latest from BT and its ecosystem of partners and suppliers in a week where the UK’s competition authority revealed the level of concern it has about Vodafone UK’s proposed merger with Three — with BT’s networks found to be one potential flashpoint. EE continues retail revamp; Etc. ignites EV charging trial; and Business advances its Portfolio makeover…
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Interview
Brace for ‘AI tidal wave’: Kao Data urges UK data centre step change
Next-gen specialist discusses Manchester Data Centre of the North investment sweetspot, need to prep for AI-fuelled tsunami of demand (nowhere in Europe ready). Read more…
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Financial & Performance
Infra investors line up for stake in Virgin Media O2’s new NetCo
Q1 FY24: Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries says Boston Consultancy Group and Deloitte hired for financial and project planning, as investors appear interested in fibre spin-out plans. Despite confidence in fibre growth opportunity, VM O2’s fixed customer base declined in an overall uneasy quarter for the operator…
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Consumer (B2C)
EE’s £6m bricks-and-mortar retail investment brings more customers, better connections
EE’s newest Experience store opened in Bristol, with nine more to follow in the next year as part of £6m retail investment.
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M&A
Merged Vodafone−Three ‘incentivised and able’ to ‘frustrate’, ‘harm’ BT — CMA
Merger-critical Competition & Markets Authority investigation is damning on logic and impact of combination, dubious of benefits. Network-sharing joint venture MBNL is at heart of concerns and may become a focus for any forthcoming ‘remedies’. Read more…