BT threatened with strike action over job cuts and pay November 5, 2020 BT could be facing its first major strike action in more than 15 years after union members accused the company of “putting profit before people”. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) today asked members to vote on whether to hold a strike ballot at the company over an “increasingly aggressive” approach by management across BT, Openreach [...]
BT profit drops a fifth but telecoms giant boosts guidance October 29, 2020 Telecoms giant BT said that half-year profit had slipped 20 per cent this morning but still boosted its earnings guidance for the full year. Post-tax profit dropped from £1.07bn last year to £856m, while revenue at the FTSE 100 firm fell eight per cent to £10.6bn. The company said that the fall was due to [...]
BT taps Ericsson to provide London 5G networks October 28, 2020 BT has chosen Swedish telecoms firm Ericsson to provide 5G radio equipment in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and other major UK cities. The deal means that when rollout is completed, Ericsson will manage around 50 per cent of BT’s 5G traffic. It comes just months after the government said it would ban Chinese firm Huawei [...]
UK regulator to ban telecom providers from selling ‘locked’ smartphones October 27, 2020 Mobile phone operators across Britain will be banned from selling ‘locked’ handsets, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom announced this morning. Most of Britain’s largest providers, including BT/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone, sell mobile devices that cannot be used on other networks unless they are unlocked, a potentially complicated process which often costs around £10. Ofcom has now [...]
Drop in drama comes at bad time for Premier League’s pay-per-view push October 26, 2020 Who remembers the good old days of a few weeks ago, when the Premier League was all goals and madcap scorelines? Leicester smashing five at Manchester City was soon eclipsed by Tottenham’s six-goal romp at Manchester United and then, giddily, Aston Villa putting seven past champions Liverpool. Gameweek Two had set the tone, ushering in [...]
BT taps Nokia to replace Huawei in 5G networks September 29, 2020 BT has chosen Nokia to supply its 5G radio equipment in a deal that will make the Finnish firm the telecoms giant’s largest infrastructure partner. The deal, which marks a major win for new Nokia boss Pekka Lundmark, comes just months after the UK said it would ban Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G networks. [...]
Boris Johnson’s gigabit broadband target will be ‘missed by years’, warns BT boss September 27, 2020 Boris Johnson’s target for delivering gigabit broadband across the UK will be missed by eight years without £9bn worth of tax and red tape cuts, BT has warned ministers. BT claims the industry is on course to deliver gigabit speeds across the nation by 2033, significantly later than Johnson’s election pledge of full coverage by [...]
BT shares jump as it ramps up defences against potential takeover August 24, 2020 Shares in BT jumped this morning following reports that the telecoms giant has ramped up its defences against a potential £15bn takeover. BT’s share price increased more than five per cent this morning after the firm took steps to strengthen its defences after its stock slumped to the lowest level in a decade. Sky News [...]
BT steps up takeover defence after share price halves August 23, 2020 Bosses at telecoms giant BT have taken steps to bolster its defences against a potential takeover after a plunge in its share price. According to Sky News, the firm, which is now valued at £10.1bn, has told Goldman Sachs to update its strategy for defending BT from such a move. The plans may also involve [...]
Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund ‘builds stake in BT’ June 21, 2020 Saudia Arabia is thought to be buying up a stake in BT, as the kingdom looks to take positions in blue chip companies at a knock-down price during the pandemic. The $325bn (£263bn) Saudi sovereign wealth fund, has reportedly been building a stake in BT on the open markets in recent weeks, with the company [...]