How Talktalk went from taking on BT to being rescued by it Telecoms TalkTalk was founded to take on BT, slash the price of broadband and shake up a market dominated by a handful of incumbents. But more than two decades later, the challenger has ended up in the arms of the company it was built to challenge. BT stepped in on Monday to buy Talktalk and its [...]
Virgin Media takes aim at ‘stitch up’ BT rescue of Talktalk Telecoms Virgin Media has hit out at BT’s rescue of Talktalk as a “stitch up”, warning the deal could further strengthen its rival’s grip on Britain’s broadband market. BT agreed on Monday to acquire debt-laden Talktalk and its wholesale arm PlatformX Communications out of administration, safeguarding services for 1.5 million retail customers and one million wholesale [...]
Vodafone defends migrant SIM scheme after Reform threat Telecoms Vodafone has defended its charity SIM card programme after Reform UK threatened the telecoms giant with government contract bans and its bosses with prison over thousands of cards distributed through Care4Calais. The telecoms group said its programme provides SIM cards to registered UK charities for distribution to vulnerable people in Britain, after Reform shadow home [...]
Vodafone shares jump as French telecoms tycoon becomes top shareholder July 10, 2026 Vodafone shares surged almost 11 per cent on Friday after French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel bought a £4.4bn stake in the FTSE 100 group from UAE-backed e& and became its largest shareholder. The deal will see Niel’s investment vehicle, Vega, acquire e&‘s entire 16.2 per cent stake for 112.5p a share – a 15 per [...]
Virgin Media slapped with £28m fine for stopping customers cancelling deals July 8, 2026 Virgin Media has been slapped with the media watchdog’s largest ever fine for direct harm to consumers after it was found to have mishandled millions of calls with users looking to switch away to a better deal The telecoms giant has been hit with a £28m fine after it was found to have put customers [...]
Airtel eyes fintech IPO spin off in $10bn boost for London market April 28, 2026 British telecommunications giant Airtel is mulling listing its mobile money business on the London Stock Market in what could be one of the largest public debuts on a European exchange in years. Airtel Money – a digital commerce service that allows users to store money, transfer funds and buy mobile data – is said to [...]
TalkTalk to cut more jobs in ‘necessary’ move October 14, 2025 TalkTalk has announced it is looking to cut up to 100 jobs in its consumer business in a move it has described as “necessary”. The company, which has bases in Salford and London, said the move forms part of its bid to ‘returning to its challenger roots’ to become more ‘focused, agile, and dynamic’. A [...]
BT urges government action amid standalone 5G rollout October 2, 2025 BT has called on the UK government to remove regulatory barriers and accelerate mobile network expansion. The call comes as the FTSE 100 giant announced plans to deliver standalone 5G (5G+) coverage to 99 per cent of the UK population by 2030, four years ahead of rival operators’ stated projections. Speaking at the Connected Britain [...]
Tesco Mobile returns to profit thanks to Samsung Galaxy September 9, 2025 Tesco Mobile returned to profit thanks to Brits’ demand for premiums handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, it has been revealed. The provider, which is a joint venture between the supermarket giant and Virgin Media 02, has posted a pre-tax profit of £1.2m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The [...]
Huawei issues UK sales warning as restrictions hit hard August 7, 2025 The UK arm of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has issued a warning over its future sales as restrictions on its activities continue to have a major impact. The Reading-headquartered business has said its turnover in 2025 will continue on the downward trajectory it has been on since 2019 but that the company will remain profitable. [...]