BT is set to offer 4G to its BT Business Mobile customers this summer, before offering mobile services to consumers from April 2015.
The telecoms giant has been offering mobile products to businesses and employees for some time, but has not been a major provider to the consumer market since it sold O2, formerly BT Cellnet, in 2005.
These business services previously relied on Vodafone’s network, but BT recently signed a mobile virtual network agreement (MVNO) with EE and acquired 2.6GHz spectrum – which offers high capacity but has poor range – during the Ofcom 4G auction last year.
“We will launch innovative new mobility services for business in the coming weeks and the first consumer services by April next year,” a spokesperson told TechWeekEurope. “The first consumer services will use our MVNO deal with EE.”
BT intends to combine 4G services with its Wi-Fi and fibre networks into a single converged platform that provide seamless connectivity for businesses, while also offering a fast and reliable data and voice network for consumers. EE’s 4G network covers 70 percent of the UK population and more than 200 towns and cities.
The MVNO would provide wide coverage, while Wi-Fi and 4G would be used for heavy data use through small cells and combined routers, possibly using the 2.6GHz spectrum. BT says such a platform would differ from Virgin Media’s quad-play packages, which are merely a collection of separate services.
BT believes it will take two years for its mobile offering to become a complete “inside-out” network but has launched a pre-registration page for businesses interested in 4G services, promising that BT 4G will have the best coverage, enable flexible working and facilitate the deployment of cloud services.
Earlier this month BT revealed it added 869,000 customers to its fibre broadband network and attributed much of this success to BT Sport, which is a main component of its television service and is offered free to all of BT’s broadband customers. This contributed to full year revenues of £18.3 billion and profits of £2.3 billion.
BT’s expansion into the mobile market, its continued challenge in the TV market and its ongoing dominance in fibre has a number of its competitors worried. Sky, which has enjoyed a near monopoly on premium sports rights until now, has agreed to build a fibre network in York with TalkTalk to reduce both firms’ dependence on Openreach.
This ownership model is set to be expanded to other cities, while Sky, which has no mobile network, has reportedly discussed a partnership with Vodafone, which has no fixed line presence in the UK, nor any TV service.
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Vodafone actually does have a strong fixed line presence but for businesses. Vodafone acquired Cable and Wireless worldwide which also included Thus and Demon. Cable and Wireless also acquired Energis. Tesco fixed line and post office fix line services are resellers of Vodafone enterprise. Vodafone formerly Cable and Wireless has an LLU network covering many BT exchanges and provides services to Demon,Bulldog and resellers.
Sky's attempts at building a fibre network will fail as there is only room for 2 or 3 players. It just won't be commercially viable.
As for Vodafone, many people do not like Vodafone. BT,EE,O2 and Verizon all do a better job than Vodafone together with great customer service and crystal clear pricing and most importantly reliability.
Maybe Vodafone could start by paying its corporation tax before starting wars with BT
Cheers Nick, I meant to say consumer fixed line presence.
As for Sky, I agree, it would be difficult for it to build a nationwide network, but its strategy of building on city networks, like the ones built by CityFibre, could work.
However they will always have some dependence on Openreach, especially in rural areas served by BDUK.
Even if Sky did focus on cherry picked individual urban locations. It will still not be worthwhile. It has taken the cable industry over 2 decades to make a profit. Also with 4G rolling out, most people are satisfied with speeds between 8mb and 16mb and 4G can achieve this. With heavy competition from Virgin Media,BT and TalkTalk and a high number of people not interested in pay tv, it kind of makes Sky redundant and this is what it is worried about.
BT always successfully wipes out competition. Whether its landlines,payphones,mobiles or wholesale deals.
An example
Mercury cable and wireless in the residential,payphone,dial up internet,ISDN and mobile telephony market between 1985 and 2005. Totally ousted by BT.
BT simply provided customers everything they needed and expected.
Mercury one2one never had reception and was always congested. BT Cellnet was everywhere
Mercury payphones only accepted prepaid cards or credit cards. Most BT payphones accepted all 4 methods of payment.
Mercury indirect access was complicated
Cable and Wireless was chaotic and the Cable service was unreliable and slow roll out of Digital TV
Cable and wireless also made a mess of Bulldog too.
They werent the only ones but the problem is, most BT rivals do not have a clue or have the money about how to compete
People only choose not to use BT because of price but they are not aware of plusnet.