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Articles for Category Tag - BT

Openreach Updates on Pilot for National UK Exchange Closures

23rd June, 2023 (41 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has published a new industry consultation that sets out, in more detail, how they’re proposing to close the first 103 of their “priority exchanges” by 2030 (pilot phase). But eventually the plan is to shut 4,500 exchanges across the UK, which will impact various broadband, PIA and Ethernet services.

Openreach Slowly Nears Completion of Devon and Somerset FTTP Contract

21st June, 2023 (17 Comments)

The state aid supported Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme in England has today issued a progress update on their £6m Fibre Extension Programme (FEP) contract with Openreach (BT), which was originally due to cover 2,000 rural premises with Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband by the end of 2021.

BT Start Deploying UK Digital Voice Service Across East Midlands

20th June, 2023 (39 Comments)

Broadband ISP BT has this morning confirmed that they’ve begun the expected region-by-region roll out of their Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) based home phone service, Digital Voice, in the East Midlands of England. Once completed, the deployment will next be extended to Yorkshire & Humberside, and then Northern Ireland.

BT’s Professor Tim Whitley Scoops King’s Birthday Honours

19th June, 2023 (0 Comments)

The annual King’s Birthday Honours (2023) were published at the end of last week, which sadly only included one figure from the United Kingdom’s broadband and telecoms sector. Professor Tim Whitley, a distinguished engineer and BT’s Managing Director for Applied Research.

ISP EE UK Launch 1.6Gbps Full Fibre Broadband Plan and WiFi 6 Router

15th June, 2023 (76 Comments)

Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has today, as previously leaked (here), announced the soft launch of the UK’s first 1.6Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) package on Openreach’s network and the supporting introduction of a new Wi-Fi 6 capable Smart Hub Plus (Smart Hub 3) router and other kit.

O2 UK Deploy Secret Shoppers – Embarrass EE, Vodafone and Three

12th June, 2023 (18 Comments)

Cheeky mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) recently hired a team of “independent secret shoppers” to visit EE (BT), Vodafone and Three UK stores to see what contracts were available to them, which found that split contracts (i.e. separate contracts for the handset and airtime) are “harder to get hold of than some networks have customers believe.”

Broadband ISP BT Trial TNT Sports Service Ahead of UK Rebrand

10th June, 2023 (20 Comments)

Some customers of BT’s consumer products are being invited to trial TNT Sport ahead of the big rebranding under a new joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is currently scheduled to take place from 18th July. TNT Sports is the new name for BTSport – offering exclusive live TV sport (Premier League, UEFA Leagues etc.).

BT to Extract 200 Tonnes of UK Copper Cable in 2023 UPDATE

9th June, 2023 (48 Comments)

As the UK rollout of full fibre (FTTP) broadband gathers pace, BT are increasingly turning their attention to the challenge of how to extract all of that valuable copper leftover from their legacy phone network. Initial trials have already taken place, and they now expect to extract over 200 tonnes of copper cable this year.

GWS Name Virgin Media O2 Best Combined Mobile and WiFi Provider

8th June, 2023 (16 Comments)

Global Wireless Solutions has today published the results of a confusing new study that measured the network performance of operators that have combined their mobile and broadband ISP businesses. Overall, the study found that the fastest download speeds by a combined provider were seen by Virgin Media O2 (138Mbps average).

BT to Freeze Pay of CEO Philip Jansen at £1.1m Until Retirement UPDATE

8th June, 2023 (28 Comments)

Reports indicated that the UK broadband and mobile giant, BT Group, will freeze the base pay of its CEO, Philip Jansen, at £1.1m – to be renewed on a rolling basis – until he leaves the company. Mr Jansen’s annual salary was fixed for 5 years when he joined, but this agreement was due to expire.

Openreach 2023 Engineers Threading UK Fibre

Q1 2023 Openreach Progress Update on Wales FTTP Build Contract

7th June, 2023 (11 Comments)

The Welsh Government (WG) has released their Q1 2023 progress update on the £52.5m Phase 2 Superfast Cymru contract with Openreach (BT), which confirms that a total of 36,869 extra premises (up from 35,770 in Q4 2022) have now gained access to their gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network.

Clarifying Some Myths Around the UK Shutdown of 3G Mobile

3rd June, 2023 (69 Comments)

In recent weeks the news has been full of reports (e.g. here and here), which frequently warn – without challenge – that the move by Mobile Network Operators (MNO) O2, Three UK, Vodafone and EE to withdraw old 3G services will push “millions of people” into “digital poverty” and disconnect them from the internet. But are they correct?

Shetland Telecom to Seek Code Powers Ahead of Possible Fibre Expansion

1st June, 2023 (12 Comments)

The Shetland Islands Council (Scotland) has given the green light for Shetland Telecom, which is the arms-length network operator that the council set up some years ago, to apply for Code Powers – ahead of a possible move to expand their full fibre broadband network to reach the remotest homes and businesses.

Openreach Name 119 UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 12

31st May, 2023 (34 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has today announced the next batch of 119 UK exchanges under ‘Tranche 12‘ of their project to move away from copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will also occur once over 75% of premises in each area are able to get FTTP broadband.

BT Has Claimed No Business Rates Relief on UK Rollout of New Fibre

31st May, 2023 (11 Comments)

Back in April 2017 the UK Government allowed broadband networks in England and Wales to claim 100% business rates relief on new fibre infrastructure for a period of 5-years, which is a change that Openreach and other FTTP builders had long sought. So it may come as a surprise to learn that BT has never claimed this benefit.

BT Sport TV Makes Key Football Finals Free to Watch for All

30th May, 2023 (7 Comments)

Broadband giant BT has today announced that they’re making the 2023 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League finals available to everyone in the United Kingdom to watch for free, whether on TV, online or on mobile.

BT Expands Pilot of UK Digital Voice Service to More Customers

30th May, 2023 (50 Comments)

Broadband ISP BT will this week expand the rollout of their Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) based Digital Voice product, which was only recently restarted with a smaller group of customers after a long pause (here), to include “all full fibre and a smaller group of broadband customers yet to switch to Digital Voice.”