EU media commissioner, Viviane Reding, has credited the 2005 decision to split BT's networks and services divisions as a potential template for other former state-run telecoms operators.

The EU is currently investigating how to encourage investment in new ultra-fast broadband networks and adopting a similar methodology to that of BT's split is seen as one potential solution.

BT's original split followed concerns by Ofcom that competition within the UK market wasn't strong enough and had begun to trail other EU states. Mind you, though it may have helped competition, the issue of building faster fibre networks remains unresolved.