BT will spend an extra £1bn on broadband May 13, 2010 BT WILL plough an extra £1bn into its broadband network as it strives to roll out superfast internet to thousands of new homes. It will also invest heavily in its struggling BT Vision television service, which it hopes can pull off a remarkable turnaround now it can offer Premier League football matches. The news came [...]
Telco sees green shoots May 13, 2010 BT Group is a huge juggernaut of a company. Former chief executive Ben Verwaayen managed to turn it around, but ran out of steam. It was up to his replacement Ian Livingston, who took the helm in 2008, to get it moving again. If yesterday’s results are anything to go by, he is finally on [...]
FTSE hits two week high on stronger metal prices, but sentiment is fragile May 13, 2010 BRITAIN’S top stock index hit a two-week closing high yesterday as miners gained, tracking stronger metals prices, but persistent concerns about euro zone debt problems prompted investors to stay cautious. The FTSE 100 ended up 50.28 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 5,433.73, the highest close since 30 April. The blue chip index has gained [...]
BT profits on the up as broadband plans unveiled May 13, 2010 COMMUNICATIONS giant BT today unveiled plans to roll out super-fast broadband to two-thirds of UK homes by 2015 as it celebrated its return to profitability. The FTSE 100 group revealed group profits of £1bn for the year to 31 March – up from a £244m loss last year – after a significant improvement in its [...]
TalkTalk sees revenues rise 22 per cent May 11, 2010 TALKTALK held off defections from its former Tiscali customers to add 42,000 new users this quarter. The internet and phone provider has flourished since cutting itself free from retailer Carphone Warehouse in March. It will now seek to maximise revenue and loyalty from its existing user base and improve customer integration. Its user-base has risen [...]
Tap into high dividends for a reliable income May 11, 2010 INCOME-SEEKERS have had a torrid time of it over the past 18 months or so. Faced with a market in meltdown and reduced margins, even the most reliable of dividend payers such as BT have slashed their pay-outs to shareholders. But there are signs that the dividend market is picking up once again. Several UK [...]
BT expects to return to profit May 9, 2010 BT is this week expected to announce a return to profit while also revealing it has cut 5,000 more jobs than expected. The firm, which recorded its first loss for eight years in 2009, is expected to report annual pre-tax profits of £1bn to £1.1bn, compared with a £134m loss in 2009. Concerns are likely [...]
Cut-price Sky Sports moves a step closer April 29, 2010 SKY’S stranglehold over subscription TV took a hit yesterday as a court refused to postpone a ruling forcing it to slash the price it can charge rivals for Premier League football. The ruling guarantees top flight games will be available across four platforms by the start of next season. Sky, led by chief executive Jeremy [...]
Sky ready for round one with Ofcom April 21, 2010 SKY and Ofcom will tomorrow begin what promises to be a long and tortuous legal battle over the future of pay TV. Sky will appear before the Competition Appeal Tribunal to request a stay of implementation on Ofcom’s new rules forcing the broadcaster to slash the prices it can charge rivals for Premier League football. [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS April 21, 2010 Royal London Asset Management The asset management firm has promoted Ian Goulsbra to the role of head of wholesale relationships, effective immediately Goulsbra joined RLAM in 2007 as a business development manager for the south of England. He was previously at Premier Asset Management, where he was head of institutional sales, and also spent time [...]