Our new partnership with media & entertainment group Global comes a year since BT’s former Enterprise and Global divisions came together to create one B2B unit connecting customers in the UK and internationally. As a group of standalone businesses that consume BT’s core assets and serve diverse industries, our UK Portfolio Businesses are an important part of BT – from the Media & Broadcast services that underpin much of the UK’s digital content to our directories businesses that underpin our critical 999 service and credit reference agencies. Many of these businesses have such a rich history behind them, becoming part of the fabric of society, and will still, play a crucial role in years to come. So, how are we modernising and future proofing them?The last years have been a journey of transformation and digitisation alongside returning these business units to growth. When taking on these businesses, it was clear from talking to customers, the public and various […]

New BT Group research shows school girls are still half as likely to actively pursue a career in tech than boys due to gender bias concerns and a lack of encouragement.Only two thirds of girls are encouraged by their families and teachers to consider a tech career, compared to more than three quarters of boys.22-year-old Aayza from Ealing, London, spent years feeling like she didn’t belong in the tech industry before trusting in her skills and landing a job as a data consultant.22 April 2024: Londoner, Aayza, has bitter sweet memories of her A-level computing classes – while she adored the subject and excelled at it, she felt out of place.“I often felt like I didn’t fit in in a classroom full of boys,” said Aayza, who became the first woman in her family to go to university and land a professional job.“When there’s nobody that looks like you in a room, it’s natural to doubt yourself and question whether you belong.”Aayza was among thousands of young women bucking the […]

BT joins with UK Business Climate Hub to help SMBs (small & medium businesses) take steps to halve emissions by 2030Reaching this milestone could cut 280m tonnes of CO2e in the next six years, research estimatesNew free resources from the UK Business Climate Hub empower SMBs to take action on reducing emissions with ‘Seven Steps to Sustainability’22 April 2024: This Earth Day, BT is announcing a new partnership with the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) that aims to help UK small & medium businesses (SMBs) halve CO2e emissions by 2030 and empower them to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It comes as research suggests UK SMBs would stop 280 million tonnes of CO2e emissions from reaching the atmosphere if they hit this near-term goal*.There are 5.5 million SMBs in the UK, making up more than 99% of all businesses nationwide. Collectively they account for almost half (44%**) of non-household emissions, making their role in tackling the climate crisis critical to the UK’s […]

BT Group has today confirmed the law firms on its new Legal Panel, which will be in place for the next 3 years.  Firms on the panel will have the opportunity to bid for all external legal work across BT Group over that period, supporting the company’s key objectives and programmes.BT Group has reduced the number of firms on its Legal Panel from 15 to 11, as part of a drive to focus its legal work with a smaller set of key strategic partners. This will enable those firms to gain a deeper understanding of BT Group, and ensure greater alignment across different projects. The firms who have been chosen are:Addleshaw GoddardAllen & OveryBCLPBird & BirdClifford ChanceCMSDWFFreshfieldsOsborne ClarkeSimmons & SimmonsTLTAs part of the selection process, BT Group reviewed law firms from across the UK, benchmarking them on a range of criteria including experience, cost and their ability to support the development of BT Group’s in-house legal talent. Clear evidence of inclusion, […]

BT today announced it has been recognised by industry analyst firm Gartner as being the furthest on “Completeness of Vision” in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Global WAN Services.According to Gartner, the independent report can be used to “to evaluate and select optimal global network service partners”. It is the 20th consecutive year* that BT has been named “a Leader” in the Gartner Magic QuadrantTM for Global WAN Services based on its “Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision”.According to Gartner, “providers in the Leaders quadrant are performing well and maintaining a stable organisation, with a clear vision of market direction. They deliver comprehensive portfolios of quality network services across the broadest geographies. They address the global networking needs of a broad range of enterprises in terms of size, geographic distribution and vertical industry. Leaders shape the direction of the market by extending their coverage, developing new […]

In January, we announced that we would move away from inflation-linked price rises for our mobile, TV and broadband customers.We acted after an Ofcom consultation proposed that when people sign up to a phone, broadband or pay TV contract, they should be clear and certain about what they will have to pay throughout its duration. The regulator said price increases being linked to future inflation created too much uncertainty for consumers.Up until now, we have used a model that was introduced in response to Ofcom’s Fairness for Customers commitments in 2019 that adjusts customer pricing every year, on 31st March, by the rate of inflation (CPI) +3.9%. That price increase went ahead this year as normal at the end of March.We want to act in line with Ofcom’s guidance to move from % figures and CPI-linked changes for our monthly plans and provide certainty for our customers on exactly what their price change will be, and when. So, starting today (10 April), we will introduce a new model […]

BT and Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, have today announced a 10-year partnership to upgrade the nation’s legacy payphones and roll out more digital hubs for local communities – in a move that will provide better connectivity and hyper-local advertising in more than 200 towns and cities across the UK. Global will also continue to represent BT’s street furniture advertising sales for the next decade.BT Group’s street furniture estate covers traditional payphones, ATMs and Street Hubs: digital units that provide public Wi-Fi, and live communication at a local level – with some also extending EE’s mobile network capability to provide 4G and 5G connectivity.The new agreement will see Global convert up to 2,000 conventional BT payphones and kiosks into brand new Street Hubs over a 10-year period from 2025, as well as marketing and selling advertising on BT’s 959 existing Street Hubs. BT will continue to provide mobile and WiFi connectivity to the units.As well as […]

The 1920s saw huge technology-led developments in the areas of mass production, transportation, connectivity and electrification, each bringing profound changes for citizens, businesses and society.  Often nicknamed ‘the roaring twenties’, this period began with the consequences of war, a post pandemic period, high inflation and high interest rates.100 years later and I’m struck by the parallels I see: not only in the geo-political environment but also in the areas of mass production, transportation, connectivity and electrification. Technology-led developments in these areas are changing things again – this time, offering fantastic opportunities for digitization in the UK.If we look to mass production, we’re witnessing a cambrian rise of robotics. Transportation has seen major progress with the promise of autonomous cars, drones/aircraft, delivery bots and more. In the area of connectivity and new media, there are huge advances in spatial computing – virtual and mixed […]

Zscaler, Inc. and BT today announced an expanded partnership that will position BT as the first global service provider to offer a full suite of managed security services based on the Zscaler AI-driven Zero Trust Exchange™ cloud security platform. BT can offer its customers a range of new solutions that will reduce the complexity of IT infrastructures while shrinking their cyber-attack surface, enabling businesses to become more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure.Tris Morgan, BT’s Managing Director, Security, said: “With digital innovations constantly changing how businesses operate, the threat landscape continues to expand. We are delighted to extend our business relationship and enrich our managed service offering with Zscaler, allowing us to offer new zero trust cybersecurity solutions for customers and making sure we’ve got their back as they go through their digital transformation.”As part of this partnership, Zscaler will also supply BT Group with security […]

Etc., the incubation arm of BT Group and financial technology platform Adyen to enable business customers to accept contactless payments with iPhone and the BT Tap to Pay app - no additional hardware needed.  Now available via the Apple App Store, BT Tap to Pay enables easy, secure and private contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone, and when combined with the power of the EE network, enables businesses to take payments from virtually anywhere.Businesses using the service will benefit from BT Group’s competitive 1.4% transaction rate. Preference for contactless payment is growing, BT Tap to Pay app makes it a simpler, more accessible experience.London, UK - 21 March 2024: BT Group today announces that its digital and startup incubation arm, Etc. has forged a partnership with Adyen, the global financial technology platform of choice for leading businesses, to enable small business customers to accept in-person contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone. Tap to Pay […]