British incumbent BT plans to re-enter the business and consumer mobile markets by the end of the year, according to CEO Gavin Patterson.
Business customers will get first access to the new mobile services followed by consumers at Christmas, Patterson…
British incumbent BT plans to re-enter the business and consumer mobile markets by the end of the year, according to CEO Gavin Patterson.
Business customers will get first access to the new mobile services followed by consumers at Christmas, Patterson said in an interview with UK publication This is Money.
He declined to reveal details of the plans, but promised more “in the coming weeks”.
BT sold its mobile division to Spain’s Telefonica several years ago but has been preparing to re-enter the wireless sector for a while now, buying 4G-suitable spectrum last year and inking an MVNO deal with EE in March.
“Getting a level playing field between fixed line and mobile is one of the reasons that we’ve decided to come back to the market,” Patterson was quoted as saying.
BT aims to deliver “seamless” services using its wifi and fixed cable networks and newly-acquired spectrum, he noted.
However, Patterson acknowledged that the mobile re-entry will be challenging, given how much the market has grown and the dynamics have changed over the years. BT will compete with established mobile players EE, O2, Vodafone and 3.
Asked whether BT will offer free calls across its network, Patterson said it is too early to confirm such speculation.
