BT Group plc (trading like BT and formerly British Telecom ) is a UK multinational telecommunications company with headquarters in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-line, mobile and broadband services in the UK, and also provides subscription television and IT services.
The origin of BT dates back to the establishment of the Telegraph Electric Company in 1846 which developed the national communications network. In 1912, the General Post Office, a government department, became a monopolist telecommunications supplier in the United Kingdom. The Post Office Act of 1969 caused the GPO to become a public company. British Telecommunications, traded as British Telecom, was formed in 1980, and became independent of the Post Office in 1981. British Telecommunications was privatized in 1984, becoming British Telecommunications plc about 50 percent of its shares are sold to investors. The Government sold its remaining shares in the sale of further shares in 1991 and 1993. BT has a main listing on the London Stock Exchange, a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
BT controls a number of large subsidiaries. BT Global Services Division supplies telecommunications services to corporate and government customers worldwide, and its BT Consumer division supplies phone, broadband and television subscription services in the United Kingdom to approximately 18 million subscribers. BT announced in February 2015 that it has agreed to acquire an EE of £ 12.5 billion, and received final regulatory approval from the Competition and the Market Authority on January 15, 2016. The transaction was completed on January 29, 2016.
Video BT Group
Histori
The origin of BT dates back to the founding of the first telecommunications company in the UK. Among them was the first commercial telegraph service, the Electric Telegraph Company, established in 1846. When these companies were merged and taken over or torn down, the remaining companies were transferred to state control under the Post Office in 1912. the company is merged and re-branded. as British Telecom.
1878 to 1969
In January 1878, Alexander Graham Bell showed his recently developed telephone call to Queen Victoria at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. A few days later the first phone in the UK was installed, under license from the General Post Office, by engineers from David Moseley and Sons, to connect the Dantzic Street location of the hardware merchant Manchester, Mr. John Hudson, with other places nearby Shudehill. Since the number of phones installed throughout the country is growing it makes sense to consider building a telephone exchange so that all phones in every city can connect together. The first exchange opened in London in August 1879, followed by Lancashire Telephonic Exchange in Manchester. From 1878, telephone services in the UK were provided by private sector companies such as the National Telephone Company, and then by the General Post Office. In 1896, the National Telephone Company was taken over by the Post Office. In 1912, it became a major supplier of telecommunication services, after the Post Office took over private sector telephone services in GB, except for some local authority services. The services are all folded in a few years, the only exception being Kingston on Hull, where the telephone department is the current KCOM Group.
Public company
Turning the Post Office into a nationalized industry, compared to government departments, was first discussed in 1932 by Lord Wolmer. In 1932, the Bridgeman Committee produced a rejected report. In 1961, more proposals were ignored. The Post Office remains a central government department, with Postmaster General sitting in the Cabinet as Secretary of State.
In March 1965, Tony Benn, acting as Postmaster General, wrote to Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, who proposed that studies be conducted to turn the Post Office into a nationalized industry. A committee was formed to look at the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal, and its findings found quite favorable for the Government to reshape the Steering Group at the Postal Organization. After some initial consideration that business should be divided into five divisions; Post, Telecommunication, Savings, Current Account and National Data Processing Service, it was decided that there should be two: Post and Telecommunications . This event eventually resulted in the introduction of the Post Office Law, 1969.
On October 1, 1969, under the Postal Law of 1969, the Post Office ceased to be a government department and became incorporated as a public company. The law gives the Post Office the exclusive privilege of operating a telecommunications system with registered powers to authorize others to run the system. Effectively, the Post Office maintains a telecommunications monopoly.
1970 to 1990
In 1977, the Carter Committee Report recommended further distribution of the two main services and for their relocation under two individual companies. The findings contained in the report led to the renaming of the Post Office of Telecommunications as British Telecommunications (trade as British Telecom) in 1980, although it remained part of the Post Office.
The British Telecommunications Act of 1981 transferred responsibility for telecommunications services from the Post Office, creating two separate companies, the Post Office, and the British Telecommunications. At this point the first step is taken to introduce competition into the UK telecommunications industry. In particular, the law empowers the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, as well as the British Telecommunications, to license other operators to run public telecommunication systems. In addition, a framework is established that enables the Secretary of State to set standards with the British Standards Institution (BSI) for equipment supplied to the public by third parties, and has the effect that British Telecommunications requires to link apparatus approved to the system. The Secretary of State harnesses these new forces and begins the process of opening up the equipment supply market, where the gradual liberalization program began in 1981. In 1982, the license was granted to Cable & Wireless to run a public telecommunications network through its subsidiary, Mercury Communications Ltd.
On July 19, 1982, the Government formally announced its intention to privatize British Telecommunications by selling up to 51% of the company's shares to private investors. This intention was confirmed by the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1984, which received the Royal Assent on 12 April of that year. Transfers to British Telecommunications plc from the British Telecommunications business, a legal company, took place on August 6, 1984 and, on November 20, 1984, more than 50 percent of British Telecommunications shares were sold to the public. At that time, this was the biggest stock problem in the world.
The new law is intended to allow British Telecommunications to become more responsive to competition in GB and expand its operations globally. Commercial freedom granted to British Telecommunications enabled him to enter new joint ventures and, if already decided, to engage in the creation of his own apparatus. Private company transfers continued in December 1991 when the Government sold around half of its 47.6% stake, reducing its holdings to 21.8%. Substantially all the remaining government shares were sold in the third flotation in July 1993, raising Ã, Â £ 5 billion to the Treasury and introducing 750,000 new shareholders to the company.
The 1984 Act also removes the exclusive privileges of British Telecommunications in operating the telecommunications system and establishes a framework to protect the workings of competition. This means that British Telecommunications has finally lost its monopoly in running a telecommunication system, which is technically retained under the 1981 Act despite the strength of the Secretary of State's license. Now the license is required in the same way as other telecom operators. The main licenses granted to British Telecommunications establish strict and extensive conditions that affect its various activities, including the manufacture and supply of equipment.
In 1985, Cellnet was launched as a subsidiary of Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Limited, a 60:40 company between British Telecommunications and Securicor. Securicor initially invested Ã, Â £ 4 million on Cellnet in 1983. In 1999, BT purchased Securicor shares on Cellnet for £ 3.15 billion. The company was later renamed BT Cellnet, and became part of BT Wireless, a group of subsidiaries owned by BT.
The next major development for British Telecommunications, and moving to a more open market in telecommunications, took place in 1991. On March 5, the Government White Paper, "Competition and Choice: Telecommunications Policy" for the 1990s, was published. As a result, it ended the duopoly that has been propagated by British Telecommunications and Mercury Communications in the UK since November 1983 and increased privatization. This new policy enables customers to get telecommunication services from competing providers using various technologies. Independent "retail" companies are allowed to purchase large quantities of telecommunications capacity and sell them in packages to both business and domestic users. White Paper is supported by British Telecommunications, a new policy that allows companies to compete freely and more effectively by offering flexible pricing packages to meet the needs of different types of customers.
1991 to 2006
On April 2, 1991, the company began using the new trade name, BT, and branding.
In June 1994, BT and MCI Communication Corporation, the second largest telecom operator in the United States, launched Concert Communications Services, a $ 1 billion joint venture. The Alliance provides BT and MCI a global network to provide end-to-end connectivity for advanced business services. Concert is the first company to provide a single-source global communications service portfolio for multinational customers. On 3 November 1996, BT and MCI announced that they have signed a merger agreement to create a global telecommunications company called Concert plc, to be included in GB, with headquarters in London and Washington, DC As part of the BT alliance acquires a 20% holding in MCI. Nevertheless, after the offer of USC WorldCom's competitor to MCI on October 1, 1997, BT finally decided in November, to sell its stake in MCI to WorldCom for $ 7 billion. The deal with WorldCom generated more than $ 2 billion in BT's original investment in MCI, with an additional $ 465 million in severance costs for the split from the proposed merger.
In December 2000, after BT license modification in April 2000, BT offered local loop unbundling (LLU) to other telecommunication operators, enabling them to use BT local copper loops (the relationship between customer location and exchange) to connect directly with customers.
After the dot com crash, the group restructured the board of directors and asset sales to deal with its large debts. In May 2001, BT announced three out of ten rights issues to raise Ã,  £ 5.9 billion - still the biggest rights issue ever in GB - and sales of Yell Group, international directories and related e-commerce businesses, for  £ 2 , 14 billion. Both activities were completed in June 2001. The group also sold its property portfolio to Telereal, a property company.
BT was renamed the BT Wireless division as O2 in September 2001, and confirmed that it planned to remove the unit in November of that year. Shareholders approved the demerger at an extraordinary general meeting held in Birmingham in October 2001, with 4.297 billion UK Telecommunications shares voted in favor, and 0.67 million voted against. BT Wireless was demoted in 2001, and relaunched on June 18, 2002 as O2. O2 was acquired by TelefÃÆ'³nica in 2005.
In April 2003, BT launched its current corporate identity, known as "Connected World", and brand values. Reflecting technologically innovative future aspirations, a connected world is designed to realize the five corporate values ​​of BT: a trustworthy, helpful, inspiring, straightforward heart. The world device section of this logo was originally designed by the Wolff Olins brand consultant for the BT Concert joint venture with AT & amp; T, and then used by the BT internet division, Openworld, before being adopted by the company as a whole.
The Communications Act, 2003, which entered into force on July 25, 2003, introduced a new industry regulator, Office of Communications (Ofcom), to replace the Telecommunications Office (Oftel). It also introduces a new regulatory framework. The licensing regime is replaced by general authorization for the company to provide telecommunication services subject to the general conditions of ownership and, in some cases, specific conditions. Under certain conditions, BT maintains a universal service obligation (USO) for GB, excluding the Hull region. USO includes connecting consumers to fixed line networks, schemes for consumers with special social needs, and provision of call-box services.
In the summer of 2004, BT launched Consultation 21, an industry consultancy for BT's 21st century (21CN) networking program. 21CN is the next generation network transformation, which, at one time, will be completed by the end of 2010. Using internet protocol technology, 21CN will replace existing networks and communications from any device such as mobile phones, PCs, PDAs or home phones, to devices other.
In 2004, BT was awarded a contract to provide and manage N3, a secure and fast broadband network for the NHS National Program for IT (NPfIT) program, on behalf of the UK National Health Service (NHS).
In 2005 BT made a number of important acquisitions. In February 2005, BT acquired Infonet (now BT-branded Infonet), a large telecommunications company based in El Segundo, California, provides BT access to new geography. It also acquired the second largest telecom operator in the Italian business market, Albacom. Then in April 2005, he bought Radianz from Reuters (now renamed BT Radianz), which extends the BT range and gives BT more purchasing power in certain countries.
In August 2006, BT acquired online power retailer Dabs.com for £ 30.6 million. BT Home Hub manufactured by Inventel was also launched in June 2006.
In October 2006, BT confirmed that it will invest 75% of total capital expenditure, amounting to Ã,  £ 10 billion over five years, in the new Internet Protocol (IP) based on 21st century networks (21CN). Annual savings of  £ 1 billion per year are expected when the transition to a new network has been completed in 2010, with more than 50% of its customers being transferred in 2008. (For actual progress see BT 21CN). That month the first customer to 21CN has been successfully tested at Adastral Park in Suffolk.
2007 to 2012
In January 2007, BT acquired Sheffield-based ISP, PlusNet plc, adding 200,000 subscribers. BT states that PlusNet will continue to operate separately from its Sheffield headquarters. On February 1, 2007, BT announced an agreed terms for acquiring International Network Services Inc. (INS), an international IT consulting and software provider. This increases the presence of BT in North America which enhances BT consulting capabilities.
On February 20, 2007, Sir Michael Rake, who later became chairman of the KPMG International accounting firm, succeeded Sir Christopher Bland, who resigned in September of that year. On April 20, 2007, BT acquired COMSAT International which provides network services to the South American corporate market. On October 1, 2007, BT purchased Chesterfield-based Lynx Technology which has been trading since 1973.
BT acquired Wire One Communications in June 2008 and folded the company into "BT Conferencing", the existing conferencing unit, as a new video business unit. In July 2008, BT acquired online business directory company Ufindus for £ 20 million to expand its position in the market local information in GB. On July 28, 2008, BT acquired Ribbit, from Mountain View, California, "The First Silicon Valley Telephone Company". Ribbit provides Adobe Flash/Flex API, allowing web developers to incorporate phone features into their software as a service application (SaaS).
In the early days of fiber broadband launch, BT said it would deliver fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) to about 25% of the State, with the rest being serviced by a slower fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). ), which uses copper wires to provide the ultimate stretch of the connection. By 2014, with less than 0.7% of the company's fiber network being FTTP, BT lowered its 25% target, saying it was "much less relevant today" due to improvements made at FTTC headline speeds, which have doubled to 80Mbit/since the launch of fiber broadband was first announced. To complete the FTTC, BT offers 'FTTP on Demand' products. In January 2015, BT stopped accepting orders for products on demand.
On April 1, 2009, BT Engage IT was created from the merger of two previous BT acquisitions, Lynx Technology and Basilica. Apart from the name change not much else has changed in operation for 12 months. On May 14, 2009, BT said it would cut up to 15,000 jobs in the coming year after announcing its results for the year to March 31, 2009. Then in July 2009, BT offered long time workers to get a 25% down payment. their annual wage or a one-time payment of £ 1,000 if they agree to work part-time.
On April 6, 2011, BT launched the first online nonprofit online charity service for a UK charity called BT MyDonate as part of its investment to the public. This service will forward 100% of all donations made through the site to charities, and unlike other services that take proportion as commissions and charitable fees to use their services, BT will only forward credit/debit card fees for each donation. This service allows people to sign up to give money to charity or collect fundraising donations. BT developed MyDonate with the support of Cancer Research UK, Changing Faces, KidsOut, NSPCC and Women's Aid.
2013 to present
In March 2013, BT allocated a 4G spectrum in the UK after the auction and assignment of Ofcom, having paid Ã, Â £ 201.5 million.
On August 1, 2013, BT launched its first television channel, BT Sport, to compete with Sky Sports broadcaster competitors. The channel launch plan came out when it was announced in June 2012 that BT has been awarded a broadcast rights package for the Premier League from the 2013-14 season until 2015-16, broadcasting 38 matches from each season. In February 2013, BT acquired ESPN Inc. on UK and Ireland TV channels, continuing its expansion into sports broadcasts. ESPN America and ESPN Classic are both closed, while ESPN continues to be operated by BT. On November 9, 2013, BT announced it has acquired exclusive rights to the Champions League and Europa League for Ã, £ 897m, from the 2015 season, with some free games remaining including both finals.
On November 1, 2014, BT created a new CBS organization to provide customer service and improve operational efficiency.
On November 24, 2014, shares in BT rose considerably on the announcement that the company is in talks to buy back O2; while at the same time BT confirmed that they have been approached by EE to also buy the company. BT confirmed on December 15, 2014 that they have entered into exclusive talks to buy EE. BT confirmed on 5 February 2015 that they have agreed to buy EE for Ã, £ 12.5 billion, depending on the regulator's approval. The deal will combine 10 million BT retail customers and 24 million mobile subscribers directly EE. Deutsche Telekom will have 12% BT, while Orange S.A. will have 4%.
In March 2015, launching 4G services as BT Group BT Mobile CEO Gavin Patterson announced that BT plans to migrate all its customers to IP networks by 2025, shutting down the company's ISDN network.
On January 15, 2016, BT received the final unconditional approval of the Competition and the Market Authority to acquire the EE. The deal was officially completed on 29 January 2016 with Deutsche Telekom now having 12% of BT, while Orange S.A. has 4%.
On February 1, 2016, BT announced a new organizational structure that will take effect from April 2016 following the successful acquisition of EE. The EE brand, high street network and store will be retained and will become the second consumer division, operating with BT Consumer. It will serve customers with mobile, broadband and TV services and will continue to provide Emergency Service Network contracts provided to EE by the end of 2015. There will be a new BT Business and Public Sector that will have around  £ 5 billion in revenue and will serve small businesses and large and public sectors in the UK and Ireland. This will comprise the existing BT Business division along with the EE business divisions and parts of the BT Global Services centered in the UK. There will also be other new divisions; BT Wholesale and Ventures which will comprise the existing BT Wholesale division along with the MVNO EE business as well as some specialist businesses like Fleet, Payphones and Directories. Gerry McQuade, currently Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Business at EE, will be his CEO.
On February 11, 2016, BT announced it would launch a new free service in 2016 to divert interruption calls in its network before they ring on the subscriber's phone and will use the enormous computing power to wipe out 25 million unwanted calls within a week. Current BT customers can purchase a special phone that lets them block interruption calls or pay to stop incoming calls. However, the new service will identify some of the 5 billion unwanted calls made each year before they arrive, which will then be routed automatically to the junk mailbox. BT customers will also be able to add numbers they do not want to hear from the blacklist, for free.
On June 8, 2017, BT appointed KPMG as its new auditor to replace PwC behind a fraudulent scandal in Italy that sparked a big earnings warning earlier this year. In April, KPMG sacked six US employees over a scandal questioning efforts to ensure that public company accounts are being well researched.
On July 8, 2017, The Daily Telegraph reported that BT "had summoned a consultant from McKinsey to conduct his business review in the hope of saving hundreds of millions of pounds a year.The work, dubbed Project Novator, is understood to include the potential incorporation of a global corporate service network and IT unit is struggling with the business division and the public sector ".
On July 28, 2017, BT announced an organizational change to "simplify its operating model, strengthen accountability and accelerate transformation" and involves bringing together its BT Consumer and EE divisions into an integrated BT Consumer BT division that will operate across three brands - BT, EE and Plusnet. This will take effect from April 1, 2018.
On April 18, 2018, BT announced further organizational changes after the merger of its Consumer and EE BT divisions, and involved bringing together BT Business and Public Sector and BT Wholesale and Ventures divisions into a new, integrated division known as BT Enterprise. It will also include BT's Ventures business "acting as an incubator for potential new growth areas of the company" and will be reported as a single unit starting October 1, 2018. Maps BT Group
Operation
BT Group is the parent company; most of its business and assets are held by its subsidiary, British Telecommunications plc. Business BT is operated under a special government regulation by the UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom (formerly Oftel). BT has been found to have significant market power in some markets after market reviews by Ofcom. In these markets, BT is required to meet additional obligations such as meeting reasonable demand to provide services and not discriminate.
BT runs telephone exchanges, trunk networks and local loop connections for most of the UK fixed-line phones. Currently BT is responsible for approximately 28 million phone lines in GB. In addition to the KCOM Group, which serves Kingston on Hull, BT is the only British telecommunications operator that has Universal Service Obligations (USO) which means it must provide a fixed telephone line to any address in the United Kingdom.. It is also mandatory to provide public call boxes.
As well as continuing to provide services in traditional areas where BT has an obligation to provide services or strictly regulated, BT has evolved into more profitable products and services where there are fewer regulations. This is in principle, broadband internet services and order solutions in the field of telecommunications and information technology.
Company affairs
Headquarters
BT Group's world headquarters and registered office is BT Center, a 10-storey office building on 81 Newgate Street in the City of London, opposite St. John's tube station. Paul.
Division
BT Group is organized into the following divisions:
- Customer is facing:
- BT Consumer - provides retail telecommunications services to consumers in the UK including:
- BT Broadband
- BT Infinity
- BT TV
- BT Sport
- BT Mobile
- BT Wi-fi
- EE - mobile network operators, providing mobile and fixed communications services to consumers in the United Kingdom
- BT Business and Public Sector - provides retail telecommunications and IT services to businesses and the public sector in the UK and Ireland
- BT Global Services - providing telecommunications and IT services to multinational companies BT Wholesale and Ventures - provides network products and services for communications (CP) providers, voice services to customers in the UK through 999, 118 500 and Next Generation Text Service, services for media companies and broadcasters and the company side includes a business portfolio offering various products and services
- BT Consumer - provides retail telecommunications services to consumers in the UK including:
- Openreach - a gated wholesale division, is responsible for the "last mile" of BT access network in GB and is in charge of ensuring that competitor operators have equal access to BT's local network
- BT Technology, Service & amp; Operation - responsible for innovation, design, testing, building and running BT global network and systems BT
- BT Research - part of BT Technology, Service & amp; Division of operations
Openreach
Openreach was founded after the Telecommunications Strategic Review conducted by Ofcom. BT entered into a legally binding agreement with Ofcom in September 2005 to help create a new regulatory framework for BT and the UK telecommunications industry in general. Openreach began operations on January 11, 2006, with 25,000 engineers previously employed by BT's Retail and Wholesale divisions. It provides the provision and improvement in the copper wire "last mile" and is designed to ensure that other communications providers (CP) have the same exact operational conditions as those of the BT Group.
Financial performance
The financial results of BT are as follows:
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BT has the largest defined benefit retirement plan of any UK public company. The trustees valued the scheme for £ 36.7 billion by the end of 2010; the actuarial valuation assessed the scheme deficit of Ã, Â £ 9,043 billion as of December 31, 2008. Following a change in regulations governing inflation index relations, the deficit was estimated at Ã, Â £ 5.2 billion in November 2010.
Sponsor
BT sponsored Scottish rugby union championships and championships between 1999 and 2006.
On July 31, 2012, it was announced that BT approved a three-year sponsorship deal with Ulster Rugby and sees BT as an Official Communications Partner. The BT logo will appear on the Ulster Rugby sleeve for all friendlies, Heineken Cup matches and RaboDirect Pro12 and significant brand presence on their home ground; Ravenhill Stadium.
On July 29, 2013, it was announced that BT has partnered with the Scottish Rugby Union in a four-year sponsorship deal with two professional clubs; Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors which will start from August 2013. This deal involves BT Sport being the new shirt sponsor for both clubs and promoted with BT Group in their respective courtyards; Scotstoun Stadium and Murrayfield Stadium.
On May 28, 2014, it was announced that BT approved a four-year sponsorship agreement worth  £ 20 million with the Scottish Rugby Union covering BT securing naming rights for Murrayfield Stadium which became the BT Murrayfield Stadium, sponsoring the Scotland seven team, being the main sponsor and exclusive Scottish domestic league and cup competition from next season, taking over the role of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS), and sponsorship of four new Scottish Rugby academies aimed at pushing forward standards for aspiring young players to play professionally.
On April 14, 2015, it was announced that as part of a four-year sponsorship deal currently worth £ 20 million with the Scottish Rugby Union announced in May 2014, BT has completed its sponsorship portfolio following an additional investment of £ 3.6 million for the remaining 3 years of the sponsorship deal, to become a new shirt sponsor for the Scottish national team.
On January 27, 2016, it was announced that BT, alongside YouTube will be the main sponsor together in a three-year deal with the Edinburgh International Television Festival. The two companies will "share excellence across all 41st TV Festival branding, including the renowned MacTaggart Camp and will work closely with the festival organizers in their efforts to reflect new trends in the rapidly changing industry, from new ways of distributing content to technical innovations such as Virtual Reality ".
BT is the founder and principal partner of the Wayne Rooney Foundation, which was established to improve the lives of children and young people. The Foundation will hold an event "to raise funds essential to support the work of key organizations dedicated to supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children and youth". These organizations are the four selected charities namely, Manchester United Foundation, NSPCC, Claire Children's Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital. The first of these shows was Wayne's testimonial match in August 2016 between Manchester United F.C. and Everton F.C. which collects Ã, Â £ 1.2 million. The match is screened directly through BT Sport with BT MyDonate being the official fundraising platform for testimonials, with online options and text for donations promoted during the game.
On May 26, 2017, it was announced that BT will sponsor the 2017 Urban Film Festival (BUFF) and see BT hosting every film festival event, including the Award at BT Tower. BT will also broadcast the awards ceremony at BT.com and will have the opportunity to play the films obtained from the festival on its BT TV store platform.
On September 6, 2017, it was announced that BT has extended the current four year sponsorship agreement worth  £ 20 million with the Scottish Rugby Union announced in May 2014, for the next three years starting from June 2018. The new deal sees BT retaining naming rights for the Stadium BT Murrayfield, in addition to his role as a major partner of the Scottish and Scottish national 7s. The BT logo will continue to appear on the front of Scottish rugby shirts around the world, in the Six Country Championships, as well as the summer and fall test matches. BT will also continue to be promoted at Edinburgh Rugby and Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
Environmental recordings
In 2004, BT Group signed the world's largest renewable energy agreement with npower and British Gas, and now all their exchanges, satellite networks and offices are backed by renewable energy. BT is a member of the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change. They signed a letter urging the government to do more to address the issue. Janet Blake, head of global corporate social responsibility at BT, said she would like to see incentives that find ways to reward companies focused on climate change by making investments in green business models.
BT has stated clearly that it has ambitious plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The strategy includes measures to reduce the company's carbon footprint as well as customers, suppliers, and employees. BT has pledged to achieve an 80% reduction by 2016, which will require further efficiency improvements.
Controversy
Huawei infrastructure access
Beginning in 2010, the British intelligence community is investigating Huawei, a supplier of new BT fiber infrastructure with increased urgency after the United States, Canada and Australia prevent companies from operating in their country. Although BT had informed the British government in 2003 about Huawei's interest in their £ 10bn network upgrade contract, they did not increase the security implications because BT failed to explain that Chinese companies would have unrestricted access to critical infrastructure. On December 16, 2012 prime minister David Cameron was provided with an in-depth report showing that intelligence agencies have very great doubts about Huawei, and that the British government, military and civilian privacy may have been under serious threat.
On June 7, 2013, British lawmakers concluded that BT should not allow Huawei to access British communications networks without ministerial oversight, saying they were "deeply shocked" that BT did not notify the government that they allow Huawei and ZTE, both with ties to the Chinese military, unlimited access to critical national systems. In addition, the minister found that the agency with responsibility for ensuring China's equipment and code-free threat is fully managed by Huawei employees. Furthermore, MPs assert that in case of an attack on the UK nothing can be done to stop the infiltration of China.
By 2016 Huawei has implemented measures to ensure integrity of British national security. In particular, their work in Britain is now overseen by boards that include directors of GCHQ, Cabinet Office and Headquarters.
ZTE, another Chinese company that supplies extensive network equipment and customer hardware to BT Infinity, is also under surveillance by the parliamentary intelligence and security committees after the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union declared the company a security risk.
World Wide Web hyperlink patent
In 2001, BT discovered it has a patent ( U.S. Patent 4,873,662 ) which is believed to grant it a patent on the use of hyperlink technology on the World Wide Web. Appropriate English patents have expired, but US patents are valid until 2006. On February 11, 2002, BT initiated a court case relating to its claims in US federal court against its Internet Service Provider Prodigy Communications Corporation. In the case of British Telecommunications plc v. Prodigy , the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York decided on August 22, 2002 that the BT patent did not apply to web technology and was given Prodigy's request for a summary. non-infringement assessment.
Behavioral targeting
In early 2008 it was announced that BT had signed a contract (along with Virgin Media and TalkTalk) with the Phorm spyware company (responsible under 121Media cover for Apropos rootkits) to intercept and analyze their user's click-flow data and sell aggregate information anonymized as part of OIX Phorm advertising services. The practice, known as "behavioral targeting" and criticized by critics as "pimping data", comes under intense fire from various internet communities and other stakeholders who believe that data interception without the consent of users and website owners is illegal in under English law (RIPA). At a more fundamental level, many argue that ISPs and Phorms have no right to sell commodities (user data, and copyright content from websites) that have no ownership claims. Responding to questions about Phorm and data interception by Webwise system Sir Tim Berners-Lee, credited as creator of the World Wide Web protocol, expressed disagreement with the concept and cited its data and web history:
It's mine - you can not have it. If you want to use it for something, then you have to negotiate with me. I have to agree, I must understand what I get in return. I myself feel that it is very important that my ISP is supplying internet to my home like a water company supplying water to my home. It supplies selfless connectivity. My ISP does not control which websites I visit, does not monitor which websites I visit.
Alleged involvement with drone strikes in Yemen and Somalia
In September 2012, BT signed a $ 23 million deal with the US military to provide key communications cables connecting RAF Croughton, a US military base on British soil, with Camp Lemonnier, a large US base in Djibouti. Camp Lemonnier is used as a base for US drone attacks in Yemen and Somalia, and has been described by The Economist as "the most important base for unmanned drone operations outside the war zone of Afghanistan."
Human rights groups including Suspension and Amnesty International have criticized the use of armed drones outside declared war zones. The evidence produced by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and International Human Rights Stanford University & amp; Clinical Conflict Resolution shows that drone attacks have caused many civilian casualties, and may violate international law.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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