The contract will see BT provide the energy company with a suite of services including improved network infrastructure, strengthened connectivity and a team of dedicated professionals to guard against cyber security threats.

BT will also be responsible for ensuring a high-quality of service and support across the business, day-to-day management of network infrastructure and data hosting.  

The deal will support NIE Network’s digital transformation, which aims to modernise the key services and infrastructure that provide electricity across Northern Ireland. Initially the contract will run for five years, with the option to extend by up to another 10 years.

NIE Networks owns the electricity network across Northern Ireland, consisting of approximately 2,300km of transmission network and 58,800km of distribution network. It is also the operator for the distribution network and is responsible for the safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity to 966,000 homes, farms and businesses.

The partnership is designed to support local jobs, build digital skills and create supply-chain opportunities across Northern Ireland.

Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer at BT Business, said: “Electricity networks are part of the critical infrastructure that keeps Northern Ireland running, and they rely on technology that is secure, reliable and resilient by design. That’s where BT comes in.

“With evolving cyber threats, protecting essential services is more important than ever and organisations rely on digital connections they can trust.

“With our experience in supporting critical services and our long-standing presence in Northern Ireland, we are in a unique position to provide the secure, trusted connectivity and specialist expertise that will help strengthen the network for years to come.”

The deal will also enable a move to more sustainable infrastructure and networks, supporting NIE Networks to reach their sustainability and net zero ambitions.

Rohan Kapoor, Chief Information Officer of NIE Networks, commented: “This multi-year partnership is a win-win for Northern Ireland’s economy supporting local jobs, skills development, and supply-chain opportunities. 

"The collaboration will also help meet Northern Ireland’s energy needs, increasing our technological capabilities and enabling further electrification, renewables integration and emerging flexibility markets all of which have a positive impact on the Northern Ireland economy and the NI Executive’s net zero targets.”

BT Group has a strong presence in Northern Ireland, employing more than 3,400 people and providing an economic boost of £630 million. It is also responsible for generating £1 in every £110 produced in the region according to an independent report.

In 2023 it officially unveiled a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its flagship Belfast Riverside office, boasting state-of-the-art technology and collaboration spaces for colleagues from its EE, BT Business and Openreach units.

During the two-week trial, a dedicated slice of the EE 5G network was partitioned for use in the renowned Lavery’s Beer Tent to support its eight mobile payment terminals, enabling superfast card and mobile payments for thousands of customers – even during the market’s busiest periods. It marks the first time that a business has benefitted from access to a partitioned slice from EE’s public network and live 5G Standalone core.

Network slicing uses 5G Standalone technology, which BT Group launched last September, to provide a customer with a protected ‘slice’ of the network for assured performance, boosting connectivity speeds and lowering latency by minimising congestion and unlocking bespoke capacity for businesses.

The trial successfully demonstrated the capability of network slicing to bypass congestion in busy locations and keep businesses connected through dedicated quality of service. 

It follows the availability of 5G standalone connectivity for BT's small business customers as part of the company’s investment in the networks of the future.

Belfast’s Christmas Market, which takes place at Belfast City Hall, sees up to 1.2 million visitors each year, with the Lavery’s beer tent proving among the most popular attractions. As Belfast’s oldest family-owned pub, Lavery’s has been at the heart of the city's social life for over 100 years, and the Christmas Market has been one of the most important dates in its diary for two decades.

Bernard Lavery, Director, Lavery’s, said: "With this being the 20^th year of our festive beer tent, Lavery’s is as synonymous with Belfast Christmas Market as it is with the city itself. In that time, the need to enable fast and reliable mobile payments has only grown thanks to the growing trend towards cashless. BT Group's network slicing capability therefore gives us so much peace of mind, not only in enabling transactions to be completed faster than ever, but also in delivering the dedicated mobile capacity needed to keep our customers happy and queues moving even at the busiest times.”

Paul Murnaghan, BT’s Northern Ireland Director, said: “Businesses increasingly rely on technology that’s able to cope with the demands of the ever-pervasive digital world, securely.  We have all visited a retailer and had the awkward ‘wait while we check’ to see if a payment has been completed correctly.  Network slicing helps tackle this problem by enabling consistently fast and smooth connectivity, critically giving certainty to both traders and customers even when the network is busy in specific locations like Belfast Christmas Market.”

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic, Policy and Resources Committee, said: “Having access to world-class advanced wireless connectivity is essential for our local businesses. It’s brilliant to see Belfast benefit from BT Group’s first ever real-world deployment of network slicing, helping local business Lavery’s to enhance its operations and provide an even better customer experience at the very popular Belfast Christmas Market.”

Belfast was one of fifteen launch cities to benefit from the arrival of EE’s 5G Standalone network in September 2024, paving the way for BT Group to roll out network slicing for business customers. The company has been investing heavily in futured-proofed network infrastructure across the region to ensure it is ready for the launch of such services.

The real-world deployment at Belfast Christmas Market comes after BT Group successfully demonstrated network slicing for consumer and enterprise use-cases last year at its pilot cluster in Adastral Park.

Other benefits of network slicing include improved security, the ability to quickly adapt the network to meet specific customer needs and the capacity to support IoT sensors. It can also help cut down on accidentally missed payments by removing the lag between a contactless swipe and the funding being accepted.

Notes for editors:

Photo credit: Brian Morrison

The trial was enabled by BT’s Division X

BT today announced that it has launched Immersive Spaces for business and public sector organisations across Northern Ireland, creating the first 5G-enabled, interactive simulation experience here.

Launched in partnership with Immersive Interactive Ltd, BT Immersive Spaces simulate real-life environments within an internal or external room, or mobile unit.

The innovative technology is being showcased in a roadshow, creating interactive immersive experiences and learning and development opportunities for sectors including education, healthcare, retail, transport, tourism, manufacturing, construction and sport.

The fully immersive rooms are connected to the EE mobile network, using cameras and HD projectors to bring 360° content to life across the space’s walls and floor. Inside the space, users can experience real-life or imagined scenarios in detail, and add interactive elements – virtually transporting themselves into simulated environments, augmented with lights, sounds, and even smells.

From training paramedics in a simulated roadside accident scene, to creating virtual experiences inside operating theatres, buses, warehouses, supermarkets, building sites and arenas, the immersive space can be used by any organisation with a training and development need. In total, it offers more than 3000 computer-generated real-life scenarios for training experiences.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for Business, BT in Northern Ireland, said: “Today marks the next step in an exciting journey by BT to really showcase the benefits of 5G technology in providing these new and exciting learning and development opportunities for businesses and the public sector here.

“BT’s ambition is to ‘Connect for Good,’ and this 5G-enabled Immersive Spaces technology, which is the first of its kind, really does show the power of connectivity for consumers and businesses as we continue to invest in our network in Northern Ireland.”

David Salt, MD at Immersive Interactive Ltd, said: “The potential for immersive technologies is huge. Being able to interact with every surface of an immersive room, as well as enjoy additional sounds, smells and sensory effects, allows people to become truly submerged and virtually transported to new environments, as if they were experiencing the real thing. We are thrilled to be working with BT to bring this technology, with limitless potential, to businesses and consumers who can benefit from learning in a new, interactive way.”

BT’s Immersive Spaces are fully supported by EE’s 4G and 5G network. With 5G, users can live-stream content from a real-life location directly into the BT Immersive Space. Where this isn’t possible, they can download content and store content over 4G or even fixed fibre.

BT provides customers with an end-to-end service – from building and preparing Immersive Spaces, providing 360° video equipment, right through to training and guidance on how to use the spaces, as well as 24/7 customer service support.

For more information please visit here

BT has today announced the next phase in the rollout of its new home phone service, Digital Voice, to UK customers on a region-by-region basis.

Following successful pilots in Salisbury (Wiltshire) and Mildenhall (Suffolk), BT announced plans earlier this year to start contacting customers on a phased region-by-region basis across the country. Starting with the East Midlands in July, Yorkshire and the Humber in August and Northern Ireland in September, customers are contacted at least four weeks in advance before making the switch, to ensure that they are ready to move to Digital Voice.

Today, BT has announced the remaining regions and nations set to make the switch over the next year: 

Autumn 2023

• North West
• London

Spring 2024

• West Midlands
• South East
• Wales
• East Anglia

Summer 2024

• North East
• Scotland
• South West

Throughout the programme, BT will also be contacting some broadband customers in England, inviting them to switch their landline to Digital Voice in advance of local and regional campaigning in their area.

The landline is here to stay

The move comes as part of an industry-wide shift from analogue to digital landlines, where calls are made over a broadband line, and will see BT and nearly all other landline operators in the UK, including Virgin Media O2, supporting their customers in making the switch by the end of 2025.

The landline isn’t going away but is being upgraded to replace the decades old analogue technology that is increasingly unreliable and is no longer supported by suppliers and manufacturers. Customers risk facing increased service outages if this urgent infrastructure upgrade isn’t carried out now by BT and other operators. This new future-proof, digital landline technology is also a major step towards preparing the country for a Full Fibre future, in support of the UK Government’s gigabit connectivity ambitions.

Digital Voice will have no impact on how BT customers use their home phone and will not cost any more than customers pay today. They’ll still have the same service, and price plans and bills will stay the same. In addition, more than 99% of phone handsets work with Digital Voice and for those that won’t, BT has a range of handsets that customers can order.

In support of its regional approach and building on the successful starts in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside, BT is explaining to customers the simple steps required to make the move to Digital Voice through local and regional media and advertising campaigns. BT will also have a high street presence and hold local ‘town hall’ drop-ins to answer customer questions in person.

Initially, BT won’t be proactively switching anyone who falls under the below criteria, where it has this information available:

• Customers with a healthcare pendant
• Customers who only use landlines
• Customers with no mobile signal
• Customers who have disclosed any additional needs.

Customers who fall into any of these categories should contact BT to ensure their data is up to date.

Customers over the age of 70 are not being proactively switched to Digital Voice. However, since July 2023, BT has been trialling switching customers between 70-74 who live in urban areas and are ready to make the switch, i.e. they have the latest broadband hub and are not frequent landline users. These trials have gone well to date, with 98% of customers choosing to make the switch, and pending further consultation with the Digital Voice Advisory Group, BT will look to extend this trial nationally.

Lucy Baker MBE, All-IP Director, BT Consumer, said: “Through the work with our Digital Voice Advisory Group and our regional engagement, we’ve held 40 events, placed local radio and newspaper ads and met over 4,000 customers in person.

“We understand that any change can be unsettling, and we’re here to support our customers every step of the way. First-hand experience shows that once people have the facts and have spoken to one of our advisors, they feel confident to make the switch.

“If we’ve not been in touch or visited your area yet, don’t worry. We’ll be in touch when it’s time to switch. For anyone who has any issues, questions or concerns, then I’d encourage them to get in touch and let us know.”

Sarah Brain, Free Services Manager at AbilityNet, said: “Here at AbilityNet our staff and volunteers have been supporting BT to raise awareness of Digital Voice around the UK, and in particular to help those more nervous about the switch to give them the reassurance they need to make the move. 

“As a charity we support older and disabled people with technology at home every day, so we know that the world of tech can seem daunting.  The roadshows have been a great opportunity for us to work alongside BT to support those customers, and the ‘in person’ aspect is so important to answer any questions and concerns individual to them.”

Supporting customers every step of the way

BT has established and continued to work closely with its Digital Voice Advisory Group* – an association made up of charities and representative groups – who have been advising on the needs of customers most affected by the switch. Feedback from this group and its members has helped to shape the approach the company is taking.

BT and the industry, with the support of industry body, Tech UK, have been engaging with healthcare pendant and burglar alarm providers who will also need to upgrade their customers’ equipment to ensure that the most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.

A host of additional support and services will also be available including:

• The ability for customers to nominate a family member, friend or carer who will receive all the information about switching on their behalf.
• When vulnerable customers start to make the switch, they'll automatically receive equipment and an engineer appointment. Their switch won't go ahead until they have spoken to an advisor and booked an appointment.

For peace of mind in the event of a temporary power cut, BT will provide additional resilience to those who need it most, including:

• Free battery back-up units for Digital Voice customers with additional needs, who identify as vulnerable and/or live in an area without mobile signal. Customers without additional needs can also choose to purchase a battery back-up unit. 
• A hybrid phone that can switch to a mobile network and has an in-built battery for Digital Voice customers without a mobile phone.

In readiness for the December 2025 deadline, Openreach have taken steps to end the sale of new analogue services across the UK. That means when customers who have access to broadband sign up for a new contract – or when they switch, upgrade or re-grade their service via their provider – they’ll be moved onto a new digital landline rather than an analogue one.

Customers without broadband will not be switched to a digital landline until they are able to. BT will install new equipment in the local telephone exchange that will allow customers to use their phone in the same way as they do today. This temporary solution will keep customers connected until they are able to make the switch to Digital Voice and will help BT to retire its analogue service by the end of 2025.   

Together with Government, Ofcom, telecoms providers, charity partners and key industry groups, BT is working hard to ensure that everyone knows about the change, how they will be impacted and what they need to do as a result.  Further information about the industry wide change can be found here: UK transition from analogue to digital landlines - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

To find out more about BT’s new home phone service, Digital Voice, please visit: www.bt.com/digital-voice

ENDS

Notes to Editors

*Members of the Digital Voice Advisory Group include Age UK, Department of Health and Social Care, Independent Age, Rural Services Network, and Which? amongst others. This group of stakeholders have been incredibly important in helping to shape our plans for how we approach the move to digital home phones.

Useful links:

• UK Government website: UK transition from analogue to digital landlines - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Ofcom: Moving landline phones to digital technology: what you need to know - Ofcom
• Which?: Digital Voice and the landline phone switch-off: what it means for you - Which?
• Age UK: Changes to landline telephones | Age UK
• Local Government Association: Digital switchover hub | Local Government Association

Case study: Marlene’s story

Marlene came to our town hall event in Leeds after receiving her invitation to find out about Digital Voice. She has her landline and broadband with BT, but only uses broadband for on demand TV programmes, so her telephone is her only means of keeping in touch with her loved ones. Here’s what she had to say to Alexander Clark and Macauley Green from our Customer Service team:

“It was so helpful to have it explained to me personally and I could ask questions. I’m not great with technology – I can’t even send a text message! My daughter had broadband connected for me so I can keep up with all my programmes, but I wouldn’t know where to begin surfing the web!

“Now I understand what’s happening with the telephone lines it’s a lot like when the television went digital and I didn't need my portable aerial anymore.

“At first, when I heard about Digital Voice I was worried I would lose my landline but Alexander and Macauley put my mind at rest that I’ll still be able to use my home phone and keep in touch with my family and friends - it will just be even better.”

Any of our customers who have been contacted about making the switch (regardless of their age) has the ability to call us with any questions or concerns and can defer their migration for the time being.

BT recently announced plans to roll out its new home phone service, Digital Voice, on a region-by-region basis. Having started in the East Midlands in July and Yorkshire and the Humber in August, BT will now move on to Northern Ireland.

An industry-wide shift from analogue to digital landlines will see BT and many other telecoms operators in the UK provide services over a broadband line, similar to work taking place in many other countries around the world.

This once-in-a-generation upgrade to future-proof the UK’s landlines is essential and will replace technology that is fast becoming obsolete. The landline isn’t going away, and for the majority of customers, making the switch simply involves plugging your phone into a broadband router instead of into a wall-mounted phone socket, bringing new benefits such as advanced spam call blocking.

Customers in Northern Ireland will be contacted at least four weeks in advance before making the switch, to ensure they are ready to move to Digital Voice. For almost all customers, Digital Voice will have no impact on how they use their home phone. They’ll still have the same service, and price plan and bills will stay the same. In addition, more than 99% of phone handsets work with Digital Voice and for those that won’t, BT has a range of handsets that customers can order.

Vicky Hicks, Senior Engagement Manager at BT, said: “BT customers in Northern Ireland will benefit from a tried and tested service, with around two million BT customers already having made the switch and benefitting from the many advantages of digital home phones from advanced scam call filtering capabilities to crystal-clear call audio.

“For almost everyone, moving to Digital Voice will be a simple and free transition with no home installation work required. If you feel you need additional support with the transition or you think you are vulnerable, please do tell us. We will be with you every step of the way.”

Initially, BT won’t be proactively switching anyone who falls under the below criteria, where it has this information available:

• Customers with a healthcare pendant
• Customers who only use landlines
• Customers with no mobile signal
• Customers who have disclosed any additional needs

BT will take extra time and will provide additional support to customers who are over 70 and are ready to make the switch. 

Engaging with the people of Northern Ireland

BT’s regional approach will be supported by general awareness communications, and advertising campaigns, delivered across local and regional media to explain to customers the simple steps required to make the move to Digital Voice.

Upcoming engagement activities in Northern Ireland include:

Townhalls: BT will be present in townhalls across Northern Ireland in September to address customer questions on the ground. Customers will be able to speak to BT advisors, test Digital Voice products as well as take part in digital skills training. The first two townhalls to be confirmed are as follows:

• 19^th September, 10:00 – 15:00: Girdwood Community Hub, 10 Girdwood Avenue, Belfast, Antrim BT14 6EG
• 26^th September, 10:00 – 15:00: Foyle Arena, 2 Limvady Road, Derry/Londonderry, BT47 6JY

Pop-up events: BT will be hosting pop-up stands in garden centres and libraries so customers can have one-to-one conversations with BT staff. The first locations that have been confirmed are:

• 20^th September:
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Enniskillen Library, Halls Ln, Enniskillen BT74 7DR
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Lisburn City library, 23 Linenhall St, Antrim, Lisburn BT28 1FJ
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Coleraine Library, Queen St, Coleraine BT52 1BE
• 27^th September:
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Ballymena Central library, 5 Pat's Brae, Ballymena, Antrim, BT43 5AX
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Newry City Library, 79 Hill St, Newry BT34 1DG
  • 10:00 – 14:00: Portadown Library, Church St, Portadown BT62 3LQ

Demonstration vehicle: BT will tour nine towns and cities over the course of September to ensure customers across Northern Ireland can speak to BT staff about the switch and try out the new technology for themselves. Confirmed dates and locations:

• 1^st to 4^th September: Belfast, Cityside Retail & Leisure Park, 100-150 York Street, BT15 1WA
• 5^th and 6^th September: Antrim, The Junction Retail Park, 111 Ballymena Road, BT41 4LL
• 7^th and 8^th September: Bangor, Bloomfield Retail Park Bangor, South Circular Road, BT19 7HB
• 9^th and 10^th September: Belfast, Connswater Shopping Centre, Bloomfield Avenue, A20, BT5 5LP
• 11^th and 12^th September: Banbridge, The Boulevard, Cascum Road Outlet Park, BT32 4LF
• 13^th to 16^th September: Lisburn, Sprucefield Retail Park, Hillsborough Road, BT27 5UQ
• 17^th to 19^th September: Omagh, Omagh Town Centre, 1 Omagh Street, Market Square, BT78 7EE
• 20^th to 22^nd September: Londonderry, Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre – Limavady, Lisnagelvin Road, BT47 6DF
• 23^rd and 24^th September: Antrim, Junction Leisure & Retail Park, 111 Ballymena Road, BT41 4LL

Full information of dates and which towns and cities will be hosting BT events will be available on the Digital Voice website: www.bt.com/digital-voice.

ENDS

The activities of BT Group added £690 million to the wider economy of Northern Ireland last year and supported more than 7,300 jobs, according to a new report published today. 

The report from consultancy firm Hatch looked at the spend of employees and suppliers of BT Group – which includes EE, BT, Plusnet and Openreach – and the estimated knock-on impact that has on economies across the UK. 

The report found that BT Group, the UK’s largest telecommunications company which employs more than 3,200 people in Northern Ireland, made a direct contribution to the NI economy estimated at £420 million in the last financial year (2021/22). Through the company’s employees and its supply chain, and their subsequent spending, Hatch estimates the resulting boost to the NI economy came to a total of £690 million. 

The company’s spending with suppliers based in Northern Ireland came to a total of £140 million. According to the study, BT Group’s combined activities supported a knock-on total of 7,340 jobs across Northern Ireland.  

The report highlights BT Group’s presence across Northern Ireland and its current major investment in the rollout of full-fibre broadband and 5G. It also profiles the range of activities by BT Group colleagues across the UK, from the volunteers helping care home residents avoid isolation and loneliness, to the teams protecting customers and the UK from cyber threats. 

BT Group is also transforming its offices and contact centres across the UK. It recently officially opened the multi-million pound refurbished Riverside Tower building in Belfast city centre. BT Group has already opened two brand new regional hubs in Birmingham and Bristol with new hubs set to open in Manchester and Cardiff this year.  

It is part of the company’s Better Workplace Programme, one of the largest workplace improvement schemes of its type ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year programme will see the company shift from having around 300 locations in the UK to around 30, with a focus on creating new, modern workspaces. 

Philip Jansen, Chief Executive of BT Group, said: “BT Group plays a vital role at the heart of the Northern Ireland economy. We're one of only a handful of companies that serves customers in every corner of the UK. 

 “We've continued our major investment in building next generation full fibre and mobile connectivity rapidly across the UK. We've already reached 9.6 million premises with full fibre, and our 5G mobile network now reaches 60% of the UK population. The benefits to families and businesses are huge: new jobs, economic growth and innovation, across every nation and region.  

 “We’re also transforming BT Group so that we’re fit to power the Northern Ireland economy of the future. Our new state-of-the-art offices, spread across the UK, are a central part of that, bringing colleagues together in brilliant spaces that will enable collaboration and help us to better serve our customers.” 

 ENDS  

 Notes 

The Economic Impact Report 2023 has been prepared independently by Hatch Urban Solutions, drawing upon data for BT Group plc activities in the UK during the last financial year 2021/22. 

BT Group today reaffirmed its commitment to Belfast, and Northern Ireland, as it officially reopened its Riverside Tower building at Lanyon Place, in the heart of the city, following a multi-million pound refurbishment.

As a key location in the company’s future plans, the significant refurbishment has created a fantastic, modern workplace, which will now be home to around 2,000 colleagues from BT Group, which includes EE, BT Business and Openreach.

Belfast was named as a significant long-term location for BT Group in 2021 as part of the company’s ‘Better Workplace Programme’ – the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year programme, which will be complete next year, is seeing BT rationalise hundreds of its offices across the UK and establish an estate of modern workspaces.

The new building boasts state of the art technology and flexible work and collaboration areas. These shared workplaces are central to the company’s future, providing environments for colleagues to come together to collaborate, learn, develop and share their experiences. BT Group believes that inspiring office environments, combined with a flexible approach to home working, will play a vital role in its future and in the future local economies of its key hub locations.

Commenting on the official opening, The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, said: "This is great news, with BT Group’s significant investment in its Belfast base showing just what an attractive place for business Northern Ireland is.

"BT's fantastic new office will provide a boost for the local economy, creating jobs and increasing footfall in the city centre, with staff spoilt for choice when it comes to options for lunch."

Brent Mathews, BT Group’s Property & Facilities Services director, added: “We’re really excited for colleagues moving into Riverside Tower following our multi-million pound investment in our Belfast flagship office. We want to bring our people together in an impressive and modern environment, transforming the way our teams work. This refurbishment represents a change in BT Group, one that is better for colleagues, customers and shareholders: easier to work with and for.

“We really want our colleagues to be proud of where they work and to feel part of something brilliant, inspiring them to also continue to do the best that they can for our customers. 

“This investment also marks a significant commitment in Belfast. As a major employer in the city, our presence will support local economic growth and employment opportunities. We recently announced plans to recruit 100 people into digital roles, such as Artificial Intelligence, software engineering and product management, as well as graduates and apprentice roles.” 

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Christina Black, added: “It is fantastic to see BT Group complete this multi-million pound refurbishment and that employees can now move into a new modern building in the heart of the city.

“This really is a big vote of confidence that a company the size of BT Group is continuing to invest in Belfast and is supporting its economic growth.”

BT Group plays an important role in Northern Ireland and is responsible for directly generating £1 in every £110 produced here, according to an independent report. BT Group employs approximately 7,300 people both directly and indirectly here.**

The business is making record investments in next generation networks, such as full-fibre broadband via Openreach and 5G via its mobile network EE. This once in a generation upgrade to Northern Ireland's digital infrastructure will support the region's economic growth ambitions and ensure Northern Ireland's businesses and public sector organisations are able to take full advantage of the latest technologies and digital possibilities.

Notes 

BT Group’s new state-of-the-art hub in Belfast is part of the company’s Better Workplace Programme, one of the largest workplace improvement schemes of its type ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year programme will see the company shift from having around 300 locations in the UK to around 30, with a focus on creating new, modern workspaces. The company has already opened new flagship offices in London, Birmingham and Bristol, and a new regional hub is opening soon in Manchester.

BT has officially opened a brand new state-of-the-art cyber Security Operations Centre (SOC) in its flagship Riverside Tower building in Belfast.

With the scale and complexity of cyber attacks constantly increasing, organisations of all types are looking to ensure they have the right protections in place. The SOC will leverage BT’s global security expertise and leading cyber technologies to defend public and private sector bodies against the latest threats.

The significant investment by BT into the 40 seat centre of excellence, follows the award of a £6.3 million contract from the Department of Finance for the provision of a Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and SOC managed services. The SOC will provide 24/7 management 365 days a year for ICT assets across the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

The new specialist centre, which is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, is designed to support growth in the company’s UK customer base providing up to the highest levels of security classification. The SOC in Riverside Tower forms part of a wider multi-million pound investment by BT in the building. Currently all 11 floors are undergoing significant refurbishment to create a fantastic future-fit workplace for approximately 1800 colleagues, with the final floors being complete in early 2023.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT’s Enterprise business in Northern Ireland, said: “Each day, millions of people around the world rely on BT’s expertise in cyber security to ensure they can go about their lives and run their businesses safely.

“Our investment in the opening of BT’s Security Operations Centre in Belfast is significant and we look forward to working with the Northern Ireland Civil Service in this partnership to deliver the most effective cyber support for the public sector here.

“Using a wealth of talent from local cyber experts, the SOC will help to tackle the unprecedented challenges of sophisticated cyber threats. As an increasing number of public services are delivered online, our partnership with central government will help to ensure that the public can trust the services that they access and that the data they provide is secure and protected.”

Paul Duffy, Director of Enterprise Shared Services added: “Protecting the cyber security of government IT and infrastructure is vital. The service provided by BT plays an important role in gathering intelligence on cyber threats and enables the Civil Service to enhance its capacity to help defend and protect our IT systems and essential public services we deliver.”

BT operates an international network of SOCs. They include more than 3,000 cyber security professionals, who use their expertise to watch, learn, predict and respond to the latest cyber threats for a range of both public and private sector clients across the globe.

-Ends-

BT has connected 70 grassroots football clubs across the UK with broadband (Wi-Fi) and digital skills training, as clubs and their communities look to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

The work is part of BT’s role as lead partner with each of the four home nation football associations – The FA, Scottish FA, Irish FA and FA of Wales.

Working with the FAs, BT identified the key areas of the game that needed the most support and developed the transformational 4-3-3 football strategy:

• 4 – to support the 4 home nations in partnership with each football association

• 3 – supporting the 3 football communities most in need of support – disability and para, grassroots, and women’s football

• 3 – 3 goals for BT: to develop new innovation and technology in football; new opportunities to promote digital and skills initiatives; and a new generation of girls and women to participate in football

The partnership includes a commitment to provide grassroots clubs across the four nations with a package of free products and services, including broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity. The aim is to support grassroots clubs in their role as hubs for their local community.

The connectivity will help the football clubs set up things like free guest Wi-Fi for supporters, taking wireless card payments and video streaming of matches and training sessions.

BT will also work with the connected clubs to help make them hubs for digital and employability skills support in the local community, through BT’s Skills for Tomorrow programme, which aims to help 10 million people make the most of life in the digital world.

Despite the coronavirus restrictions, BT has been able to connect 70 grassroots clubs across the UK, with the aim of reaching 100 by the end of the summer.

One of the ‘Connected Clubs’ already connected by BT is Horsforth St Margaret’s FC in Leeds.

Ange Emery, Club Secretary of Horsforth St Margaret’s FC, said: “I’m really pleased that Horsforth St Margaret’s FC is part of this initiative. Grassroots football is so important to the children, their families and our community.

“Now that we are a BT Connected Club, we will be looking at reaching out to more of the community to see how we can help with their digital skills, whether that be homework clubs, help writing CVs, searching for jobs or teaching the elderly new digital skills.”

Another connected club is Deveronvale FC in Banff, Scotland, who have already taken advantage of BT’s connectivity. In December 2020, the club live streamed their Scottish Cup game against Camelon Juniors FC, so fans could watch their team while restrictions didn’t allow them to attend, paying £5, and generating crucial matchday revenue for the club.

Kevin Stewart, Chairman of Deveronvale FC, said: “We are delighted to be partnering through the BT Connected Clubs initiative. It not only reduces costs to the club, but also opens offerings like the guest Wi-Fi, which we didn't have before, and the introduction of our contactless payment system and booking system.

“The connectivity has already allowed us to do things like live stream our Scottish Cup match so fans could watch at home. This went down very well with fans who weren’t able to attend the match in person. It’s also enabled our personal trainers to live stream fitness classes to our members, which we’re going to continue to do, as the club moves forward.

“As a community hub, we’ll also be using the technology and skills to support local families with things like improving health and wellbeing and tackling unemployment.”

James Kendall, Director of Football Development at The FA said: “It's great that our partnership with BT is helping us combine football and technology, making sure that grassroots clubs remain hubs for communities up and down the country.

“This past year has been some of the most challenging times not just for football, but across society, so this kind of support is hugely welcome as we look to get grassroots football back on its feet. We know that grassroots football has the power to change people’s lives for the better and these clubs will have a big role to play in bringing people back together and making a difference.”

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at BT, said: “Supporting grassroots football is an integral part of our 4-3-3 football strategy. We know how important grassroots football clubs are across the country, so by linking them to the latest technology, connectivity and digital skills, we can help build their role as community hubs.

“People up and down the country are desperate to return to their local clubs, so we hope this will give these first connected clubs and their communities a small lift.”

BT created a one-off special TV show to celebrate the importance of grassroots football, as clubs begin to re-open. The hour-long ‘Grassroots Football Show’ has been aired on BT Sport and is also available to watch via BT Sport’s YouTube channel.

In partnership with the four home nation football associations, the programme was hosted at Horsforth St Margaret’s FC and presented by BT Sport duo Jules Breach & Robbie Savage. It featured elite players from each of the home nations’ senior men’s teams, including England’s Mason Mount, Northern Ireland brothers Jonny & Corry Evans, Wales’ 100-cap hero Chris Gunter and Scotland duo Craig Gordon and Stephen O’Donnell.

Notes

Connecting grassroots football

As part of BT's 4-3-3 strategy – as lead partner of the UK's four home nations football associations – 200 grassroots football clubs across the home nations are to be given a package of BT services and become part of the rollout of the digital skills programme BT Skills for Tomorrow to turn football clubhouses into hubs for their community.

The goal is to break down barriers to improve digital, education and footballing skills in communities across the UK, creating a network of hundreds of grassroots football clubs across the home nations.

About BT Skills for Tomorrow:

BT Skills for Tomorrow is helping 10 million people in the UK make the most of life in the digital world. It is completely free and designed to help everyone - from school children and teachers, parents and families, businesses and jobseekers, to older and more vulnerable people. Working in partnership with leading digital skills, enterprise and community organisations, we have created and collated some of the best advice, information and support in one easy-to-navigate place. Visit www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow

The building in Lanyon Place will undergo a significant refurbishment, starting later this year, to modernise it and create a fantastic future-fit workplace, with the capacity for approximately 1800 colleagues.

The project, which is set to be completed by late 2022, is expected to accommodate colleagues across BT Group, which includes the UK digital network business Openreach.

Belfast is the latest key location to be unveiled as part of BT’s ‘Better Workplace Programme’ – the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK.

The five-year programme will improve and consolidate BT’s footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30, including corporate offices, contact centres and specialist sites.

Angela McGowan, Regional Director, CBI, said: “BT’s investment in Belfast is great news for the city and we are pleased that as one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, BT has confirmed its long-term presence here and its investment in modernising its office space in the city centre.

“Upgrading BT’s Belfast site is not only good news for local jobs and employee wellbeing, but also for the wider economy as there are likely to be many local companies and suppliers involved in this large scale project.”

Graeme Paton, BT’s managing director, property and facilities services, said: “Our refurbished building in Belfast will bring our people together in an impressive and modern collaborative environment, transforming the way we work.

“Excitingly, Belfast will continue to be an important location for BT Group. Our colleagues at our Riverside Tower building will benefit from working in a completely refurbished future-fit office which sits in the heart of the city.

“The buildings we work in play a huge part in how we feel and how we collaborate with each other, so we are looking forward to transforming our Belfast office for our colleagues to enjoy as many more of us start to return to our offices over the next few months.”

Jane Wood, BT Group director, UK regions, said: “This is a real sign of BT’s continued commitment to Belfast and also to Northern Ireland as a key strategic location for the business.

“Although many of us have been working from home successfully over the last year, we also know that modern office environments are vital. This announcement further highlights BT’s confidence in Northern Ireland’s ability to make a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Teams based at Belfast’s refurbished office will benefit from the company’s investment in 5G and full-fibre broadband in the city. BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of refurbishments like this, as well as new offices. The programme is due to complete in 2024.

BT Group plays an important role in Northern Ireland and is responsible for directly generating £1 in every £110 produced here, according to an independent report. It generated £655 million to the Northern Ireland economy in “Gross Value Added” GVA, during the 2019/20 financial year.* BT Group employs 7,270 people both directly and indirectly across the Northern Ireland.

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Notes to editors

*Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the value of all goods and services produced in an economy. GVA combines wages and operating profits from companies and other organisations. Growing GVA can reflect improvements in workforce skills, productivity, R&D and innovation. The figures for BT show the value added directly through BT's services and additional value generated through BT's suppliers across the nations and regions.

The full BT Economic Impact Report is available at: www.bt.com/reports

• From life-saving defibrillators to a mini museum, the opportunities for local phone boxes are endless

BT today revealed that almost 4,000 of its iconic red phone boxes across the UK are up for grabs – as it urges local communities to take advantage of a scheme to help transform them for the 21^st Century.

Since 2008, over 6,600 phone boxes have been taken on by communities for just £1 each through BT’s Adopt a Kiosk programme. Redundant phone boxes, once a lifeline of communication before the arrival of mobile phone networks, have been transformed into everything from defibrillator units and mini history museums to art galleries and book exchanges.

BT will also consider adoption requests to house defibrillators in modern glass phone boxes, a potentially life-saving conversion.

James Browne, Head of Street at BT, said: “With most people now using mobile phones, it’s led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from payphones. At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts, particularly in rural areas.

“We’re currently rationalising our payphone estate to make it fit for the future, and the ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme makes it possible for local communities across the UK to retain their local phone box, with a refreshed purpose for the community.

“Thousands of communities have already come up with a fantastic array of ideas to re-use their beloved local phone box. Applying is quick and easy and we’re always happy to speak to communities about adopting our phone boxes.”

From Aberdeen to Plymouth, the Community Heartbeat Trust charity is working with BT and local communities to install lifesaving defibrillators in local kiosks. Martin Fagan, National Secretary for the Community Heartbeat Trust charity, said: “BT’s phone box kiosks are iconic British structures, and repurposing for this life saving use has given them a new lease of life. To date, we have converted about 800 ourselves, with another 200 in the pipeline.

“Placing the equipment in the heart of a community is important to save on time. Kiosks are historically at the centre of the community, and thus great locations for defibrillators.”

As part of plans to modernise its payphone estate, over 400 payphones across towns and cities have also been upgraded by BT to digital units, called Street Hubs, offering free ultrafast public Wi-Fi, free UK phone calls, USB device charging, environmental monitoring and more. BT’s Street Hubs also play a vital role in sharing public information, for example during the Covid-19 pandemic, Street Hub units across the country have displayed key advice from Public Health England and local councils. Street Hubs form part of BT’s plan to transform the UK’s high streets with a digital communications service designed for the 21^st Century.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Adopt a Kiosk Case studies

Patrick Brompton Parish Council – Defibrillator, Richmondshire

A traditional red BT phone box in the North Yorkshire village of Patrick Brompton has been turned into a defibrillator unit, a conversion which could help save lives.

The former payphone, situated centrally in the village, was adopted for just £1 by the parish council through BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme. It now houses a defibrillator which can be used in emergency situations.

Brian Whitehead, vice chairman of Patrick Brompton Parish Council, said: “As a council we were really keen to adopt our red phone box and we didn’t want to see it go.

“It’s a fact that no-one really uses payphones anymore, but they look quite iconic, especially in rural areas like ours, so we wanted to retain it from a heritage perspective.

“The defibrillator we did have in the village was behind the 18^th Century school room, so we’ve moved it to the phone box and think it’s a much better place for it. Thankfully, it’s never had to be used but it’s reassuring to know it’s there in case we ever need it in an emergency.”

Book Exchange - Church Lawford Parish Council, Warwickshire 

A book exchange has been created inside a former BT red phone box in a small Warwickshire village.  

The traditional kiosk opposite The Old Smithy pub in Church Lawford, near Rugby, was taken on by the parish council for £1 through BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme. It is now a thriving book exchange which is used by residents young and old alike. People donate books and take away others to read before returning them.  

Jeremy James, chairman of Church Lawford Parish Council, said they had taken inspiration from a nearby village - Stretton under Fosse – where the community adopted their local phone box and turned it into an information booth with details on local history, as well as local walks and footpaths.  

Jeremy added: “We wanted to add the book exchange element as the mobile library only visits briefly once a month, and this aspect has really taken over.  

“I have been pleased by the level of support it gets. Those people that use it appreciate it, and the only real maintenance needed is periodic tidying up of the book supply.  

“At Christmas we installed lights on the green for the first time, powered from the phone box, and we also installed a sound system with carols and songs written about the village during the Covid-lockdown.  

“If another village were considering adopting their phone box, I would say it is very worthwhile.” 

Defibrillator – Orkney Islands, Scotland

A red phone kiosk in the rural Orkney Islands has been transformed into a defibrillator for the local community.

Over the past year, the trust has installed five new community defibrillators across Westray, the locations being the Westray Airfield, Gill Pier Ferry Terminal Waiting Rooms, Westray Parish Kirk, Peter Miller’s Shop and the Rapness Ferry Terminal Waiting Rooms.

The sixth and final defibrillator was installed in the Midbea red telephone kiosk, in Westray’s west side.

The push for the installations came after a series of community first aid training sessions highlighted that there was limited access to defibrillators on the island.

Isobel Thompson, Operations Manager at Westray Development Trust, said: "The red telephone box on the Westside of Westray was an ideal location to install a public access defibrillator as the telephone box was both memorable and already strategically placed. Thanks to BT's 'Adopt a Kiosk' scheme we were able to expand our defibrillator network and improve access to life-saving equipment in an emergency for our isolated island community." 

About Adopt a Kiosk

Communities can adopt a kiosk if they are a recognised public body, such as a parish council, community council or town council. Boxes can also be adopted by registered charities or by individuals who have a payphone on their own land. BT will continue to provide electricity (if already in place) to power the light for adopted phone boxes, free of charge.

For further details on how to apply to Adopt a Kiosk, simply go to www.bt.com/adopt where application forms and information can be found.

BT Group, its spend with contractors and suppliers, and the spending power of its employees, are responsible for supporting more than 7,270 jobs in Northern Ireland, according to an independent report published today.

The Economic Impact of BT Group in the UK report, by consultancy firm Hatch, calculates that the communications and technology company generated more than £24 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy during the last financial year, including £655 million in Northern Ireland alone*.

The report estimates that around 7,270 full-time jobs in Northern Ireland are supported by BT Group through direct and indirect effects. The firm also spent £155 million with suppliers based in Northern Ireland, including those in construction and telecommunications industries.

BT Group has broadband and mobile networks spanning from the Scilly Isles to Shetland, built and maintained by some of the 82,800 direct employees it has in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the firm directly employs 2,900 people, with a further 436 employed as contractors.

The company is currently modernising its business, including investing in the UK’s largest workplace consolidation and modernisation programme, as it moves from 300 locations to around 30 as part of its Better Workplace programme. The firm also plans to invest in the refurbishment of its flagship Belfast office at Riverside Tower, providing a future-fit workplace of the future for thousands of colleagues. More announcements are expected later this year.

Last week BT unveiled plans to recruit more apprentices and graduates in Northern Ireland for its September 2021 intake. Meanwhile, Openreach, the digital network business, part of BT Group, announced that it plans to hire more than 100 new apprentice engineers in Northern Ireland before the end of March this year.

Mark Dames, BT Group head of public affairs for Northern Ireland, said: “I’m immensely proud of the contribution our colleagues make in supporting the Northern Ireland economy. At an important time for our region, our spending on people, networks and suppliers, provides a vital economic boost. The wider impact of that spending helps to sustain communities and small businesses right across Northern Ireland.

“In the past year, having good connectivity has become more important than ever as we’ve all had to work, learn, and spend more leisure time online. Despite these challenges, our dedicated and determined colleagues have ensured EE’s 5G network has been extended to cover 125 towns and cities across the UK and we have become the first communications company in the UK and Ireland to build and manage a live 5G Private Network to help digitally transform the port at Belfast harbour.

“The company has now built out Openreach’s full-fibre network to reach 4.1 million premises and EE’s 4G network now reaches 85 per cent of the UK. I know these significant investments will help to underpin the country’s economic recovery post-Covid.”

Employees from across BT Group, which includes Openreach, EE and Plusnet, have played a key role in keeping the country connected during the pandemic. The company has provided critical support to the NHS, SMEs via its Small Business Support Scheme and school children by providing unlimited broadband and mobile data, free and mobile data, free BT Wi-Fi vouchers and zero rating access to two of the most popular online education sites.

BT’s Consumer contact centres now handle 100% of customer calls in the UK, at centres from Enniskillen to Dundee. Since customer service for BT, EE and Plusnet customers was brought back to the UK and Ireland last year, more than 34 million calls have been handled.

Angela McGowan, Regional Director, CBI said: “This latest research demonstrates the extent to which BT continues to have a massive impact on our local economy and jobs. It’s great to see this significant presence in Northern Ireland.

“BT Group’s investment in the area not only means a boost to the local economy, but also to skills and high quality jobs, including recruiting apprentices and graduates. BT’s investment in the fastest networks and latest technology is also vital for the region as well as the fact that they are a large purchaser for local supply chains. BT’s success is based on smart investments in both technology and people.”

Tim Fanning, Director at Hatch, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy as a whole as well as to individual communities in the nations and regions. Its presence across the country generates significant further activity and investment, supporting many thousands of jobs.”

Summary of results for year 2019/20 – Northern Ireland: 

• 2,900 employees directly working for BT Group, and 436 contractors (Full Time Equivalent – FTE) in Northern Ireland

• 7,270 total FTE jobs supported (including indirect and induced effects) in Northern Ireland

• £115 million total income of BT Group employees (including contractors)

• £155 million spend with suppliers based in Northern Ireland

• £655 million total GVA impact associated with BT Group activities (including indirect and induced effects) in Northern Ireland

• BT Group employed 1 in every 4 in the IT and Communications sector and directly employed 1 in every 170 employees in the private sector across Northern Ireland

• BT Group directly created £1 in every £110 of GVA in Northern Ireland

• As a result of the full economic impact of BT Group, the firm supported £1 in every £60 of GVA in the Northern Ireland economy and 1 in every 80 employees working in the Northern Ireland economy

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Notes to editors:

*Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the value of all goods and services produced in an economy. GVA combines wages and operating profits from companies and other organisations. Growing GVA can reflect improvements in workforce skills, productivity, R&D and innovation. The figures for BT show the value added directly through BT's services and additional value generated through BT's suppliers across the nations and regions.

BT will recruit talent into the company across areas as diverse as engineering, customer service, applied research, and cyber-security to support the UK’s fast-growing digital sectors. The new recruits will also support the company’s plans to build and extend the latest 5G networks around the UK.

BT has recruited more than 1,600 apprentices and graduates over the past 24 months.

The new roles are spread across a number of locations including; Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Ipswich, London and Manchester^[2].

Today’s figures are in addition to Openreach’s recent plans to create more than 2,500 full-time jobs in its service and network build divisions, as well as an estimated 2,800 positions in its UK supply chain. Together, BT and Openreach are currently delivering a wide range of apprenticeships, with over 4,000 colleagues working towards their qualifications.

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said: "It is brilliant that BT are continuing to champion apprenticeships and offering more than 400 people the opportunity to start a great career in the digital industry.

“Apprenticeships form a key part of our new Skills for Jobs White Paper which will transform post-16 education and training, helping to deliver the skills individuals, businesses and the economy need to thrive after coronavirus.

“I hope more employers will follow BT’s lead so more people can get on the path to a great job.”

Alison Wilcox, Group HR Director, BT Group said: “BT is at the heart of the UK’s digital economy and as a leading employer of apprentices and graduates we offer unparalleled development opportunities. Despite the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve continued to recruit and attract brilliant people from all walks of life into our business, and we value the diverse perspectives they bring. We look forward to welcoming the 2021 newcomers.”

BT Group, including Openreach, is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeships employers and in October 2020 ranked fourth in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK.

Alongside its apprenticeship and graduate scheme opportunities, BT is also investing in several initiatives to support young jobseekers. These include BT’s Work Ready training scheme which has already helped thousands of young people kickstart their careers, providing opportunities for young people who aren't in employment, education or training and preparing them for the world of work.

Work Ready is just one part of BT’s Skills for Tomorrow ambition which aims to help 10m people in the UK develop the skills they need to make the most of life in the digital world.

For more information on how to apply for a BT apprenticeship of graduate placement, please visit: https://www.bt.com/careers/early-careers

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• BT Group, including Openreach, is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeships employers. In 2021 the company will hire 2,729 apprentices.
• BT Group is a partner of the FastFutures programme which helps provide equal opportunities to 18-22-year who are looking to shape their future career. Over the course of 12-weeks, participants learn business-focused skills that are most valued by the employers of today, such as: marketing, data, finance, teamwork and problem solving.
• For more information about our Work Ready programme and BT’s Skills for Tomorrow, with free courses to develop your digital skills, please visit: https://www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow

[1] 428 jobs: 199 graduate and 229 apprentice roles.

[2] Field based roles are located in communities across the country.

5G Private Network to accelerate Belfast Harbour’s ambition to become the world’s Best Regional Smart Port

Partnership to stimulate innovation across transport, logistics, public safety, physical security and sustainability

BT and Belfast Harbour today announced a landmark partnership to build a state-of-the-art 5G ecosystem within the Port. The partnership will deliver a series of 5G-led innovations to accelerate Belfast Harbour’s digital transformation and help deliver its smart port strategic ambitions.

In a UK and Ireland-first, BT will build and manage a live 5G Private Network designed specifically to achieve the highest levels of ultrafast mobile connectivity, coverage, reliability and security across the Port’s main operational areas. The highly secure and scalable network will enhance safety, security and sustainability across the Harbour Estate and is expected to go live across large parts of the 2,000-acre site early next year.

Belfast Harbour is an important gateway to trade and a significant contributor to the regional economy. Every year, more than 1.75 million people and over half a million freight vehicles arrive and depart through the Port, while 24 million tonnes of goods are managed and carried by ferries, container ships and general cargo vessels.

The deployment will allow Belfast Harbour to drive operational efficiencies and accelerate its digital transformation through optimising processes across transport, logistics, supply chain and shipping, as well as boosting productivity through the smooth-running of the Port’s operations. The partnership will also explore how 5G and other emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and Connected Autonomous Vehicles can be used together to enhance public safety, physical security and address climate change across the Port and other parts of Belfast City.

For example, the partnership will explore how 5G-led capabilities can help Belfast Harbour to ensure a safe and secure environment for businesses, employees and the wider public. The two organisations will work on improved productivity and safety measures by enabling 5G remote controlled inspection technology to reduce the need for staff to work at height. Meanwhile, the roll out of 5G enabled sensors to monitor air quality and other environmental factors will support Belfast Harbour and the wider city in achieving its green recovery and sustainability ambitions.

The strategic partnership follows a successful UK-first trial of 5G technology by BT and Belfast Harbour last year and supports Belfast Harbour’s ambitions to become the world’s best regional smart port.

Gerry McQuade, CEO of BT’s Enterprise unit, said: “Our UK-first 5G trial with Belfast Harbour last year was a powerful illustration of how 5G-led technology can transform port operations, propel the success of local businesses and drive economic growth. Today’s deal with Belfast Harbour will make these benefits a reality, with the creation of a sophisticated digital ecosystem comprising of 5G, AI, IoT and Connected Vehicles. This will act as a springboard for Belfast Harbour to achieve its ambition to be the world’s best regional smart port and an innovation hub for the region.

“Ports are fundamental to the UK economy, and Belfast Harbour is responsible for roughly two thirds of Northern Ireland’s trade. With the rising demands on transport and logistics, and the growing need for operations to be safe, secure and sustainable, we’re excited to work with Belfast Harbour as its technology partner, building 5G-led innovations to unlock the productivity benefits for the port and contribute to the region’s green recovery ambitions.”

Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour added: “One of Belfast Harbour’s key strategic ambitions is to become a smart port that engages creatively and effectively with customers, visitors and employees. Following a successful test programme last year, we are pleased to have engaged BT to bring 5G technology into Belfast Harbour and delighted that this private network is a first for the UK and Ireland.

“The smooth and efficient running of our Port logistics network relies on the accurate tracking and integration of data gathered from multiple sources. We believe the increased capabilities of 5G technology can have a beneficial effect on our operations, helping us for example to capture, process and interpret data in real time and giving insights that will speed decision making, better manage vehicle traffic through our Harbour Estate and improve productivity across our operations and services.”

​

BT’s latest 999 call handling volumes are revealed today - with the company handling 90,000 calls every day - as BT joins the emergency services to mark this year's 999 Day [9 September], an annual celebration of the work of emergency services across the UK.

BT’s 999 agents are the calm and confident voice answering every 999 call. Six BT call centres handle all the UK's 999 calls in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, passing calls to the relevant emergency service.

The number of 999 calls handled by BT has increased significantly in recent years, jumping from around 25 million calls a year in 2000, to over 33 million calls in the last year. When the country entered into lockdown in March, BT 999 call advisors were given key worker status and put the needs of the UK public first to fulfil their critical role in answering 999 calls.

During the Covid-19 peak, BT’s 999 call handlers were responding to unprecedented levels of demand, answering a daily average of 105,000 999 calls[1]. The busiest periods saw 999 agents handling a call every three seconds. To meet this demand, BT trained an additional 100 staff to support with answering calls, including a number of volunteers who put themselves forward to help out.

Lacey Talbot, a BT employee who volunteered to work in the 999 team during the Covid-19 peak, said: “It was an honour to be trusted to do such an important role and I will never forget my experience. It made me feel proud to support the 999 service, especially during a nationwide pandemic. The people who perform this role each day under immense pressures are unsung heroes.”

BT’s team have been trusted to handle 999 calls for over 80 years. Mary Davies, a BT 999 agent based in Wales who has 53 years’ service in supporting 999 calls, reflected on how technology has changed the nature of her job: “Back in the day we had three people answering one 999 call and we had to check the location of each call manually. Today, our technology has advanced to enable us to track the accuracy of the call and to pinpoint the location, meaning we’re able to rapidly pass information to the Emergency Authorities to help save lives. I really enjoy working in such a fantastic team at BT. When we’re under pressure, such as recently during the Covid-19 peak, we all pulled together to put the needs of the public first.”

BT’s Advanced Mobile Location (AML) technology provides a critical role to the emergency services, providing the exact location of a 999 caller by sending an automatic text to the 999 call handler. The majority of mobile phones (70%) – including Android and Apple smartphones – can now detect that an emergency call is being made, with the caller’s precise GPS position being sent to the 999 service during the call and pinpointing their position to within just three metres in some cases. This plays a really important role in helping the emergency services reach incidents more quickly and save lives.

For example, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) frequently handle calls in remote locations. Viv Horton, Group Manager Control, at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’ve had numerous examples of where BT’s AML technology has provided an accurate address for mobilising a response when the caller couldn’t provide an address. To be able to say to your caller ‘I can see exactly where you are’ is worth its weight in gold, and having the right technology to identify where a caller is helps to reduce call handling times. This ultimately reduces the amount of further questioning required by the emergency services when trying to identify a location.

“One of our first AML calls was to a car fire in York, the distressed female caller could tell our Control Operator nothing other than she was in York with no street name. AML allowed the Control Operator to identify within seconds where the caller was in York, and a fire appliance was mobilised within 30 seconds. Had we not had AML for this call, there would have been a further delay in mobilisation, the fire would have been worse and the risk to others would have increased. We also feel the benefit of AML when dealing with Major Road calls – for example callers are rarely confident of their exact location when they’re travelling on the A1 – the location accuracy of AML has had huge benefits in reducing our major road incident call handling times.

“AML is used on a daily basis in NYFRS Control Room to support our call handling with almost immediate location results and I believe AML should be utilised in every Emergency Service Control Room.”

Don McShane, Control Room Manager at Merseyside Police, also commented:

“The Advanced Mobile Location (AML) system is used every day in our Contact Centre. The technology allows us to very quickly locate callers and reassure them that we know where they are. This in turn enables us to deploy police officers to incidents more quickly, ensuring that we are protecting our communities.

 “For example, we recently had an abandoned call from an upset female with a faint voice, with a male heard in the background. The location provided by the AML technology was very much spot on – we just needed a subscriber check to locate the exact address. This enabled us to reach the domestic violence victim in good time.

“In July we also had an abandoned 999 call with a female voice requesting police, but then the line cleared. The AML technology zoomed in to a jetty by a reservoir in Wales, enabling Merseyside Police to provide another force with an exact location of the incident.”

Mike Gauterin, Customer Service Director, BT Enterprise, said:

“At BT we’re proud to play a critical role in supporting the outstanding work of the emergency services. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic our 999 call agents faced a significant increase in calls, and have gone above and beyond to provide a critical role to the UK public.

“Our AML Technology also enables our call handlers to pinpoint a 999 caller to as close as three metres in some cases. This could mean, for example, being able to tell which side of the motorway the call has come from, helping an ambulance or fire engine get to a scene ten minutes earlier, which is potentially life-saving. Our 999 agents and the emergency services do phenomenal work and we’re delighted to be celebrating them on Emergency Services Day.”

BT plays a critical role supporting the emergency services – from its 999 call centres, building the Emergency Services Network (ESN), to BT’s emergency service volunteers working across the country from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands and globally. 

[1] Average daily call volumes during height of lockdown (17^th March 2020 – 20^th March 2020)

​

25 November, 2019: Only 1 in 20 of those who are deaf or have hearing loss can complete tasks over the phone, according to a new survey, leaving 70% of the deaf community (8.4 million) to ask friends or family members for help with basic calls.

The poll[i], commissioned by BT and in partnership with the UK Council on Deafness, reveals that despite the rise in digital technologies (such as web chat and social media), phone calls remain an essential form of communication for 80% of the deaf community, with 46% calling businesses at least once a week.

However, for many, the calling experience for everyday tasks such as booking appointments (90%), paying bills (53%) or purchasing products and services (53%), is poor, with certain services (such as healthcare and banking) inaccessible for a quarter of the deaf community.

The research comes as the Next Generation Text service provided by BT– which helps people with hearing and speech difficulties communicate over the phone – is rebranded to Relay UK.

The Ofcom regulated service translates text to speech and vice versa with the help of a specially trained Relay Assistant based in one of BT’s contact centres[ii] around the country.

The new app offers an improved customer experience and new functionality. The technology, developed by BT, enables a user to easily make a call based on their own accessibility needs. The user can connect to a call by selecting one of three options: Type & Read, Speak & Read, or Type & Hear.

Available for download today[iii], the new Relay UK app is free to use[iv] and is available to UK mobile customers in the UK.

The development of Relay UK has been led by BT on behalf of stakeholders across the deaf community, such as Action on Hearing Loss, UK Council on Deafness, National Deaf Children’s Society and Hearing Link.[v]

Claire Lavery, Northern Ireland Director at Action on Hearing Loss, said: “There are currently 300,000 people in Northern Ireland who experience hearing loss and using the telephone remains a big barrier for them to communicate with friends and family, at work, with health care providers, banks and other services. Relay UK provides a vital text relay service to help people communicate by phone with the use of a text relay assistant in real time. This service provides an essential way for people who are deaf or have a hearing loss to access everyday services, from booking a meeting or accessing healthcare including emergency services to booking a table at a restaurant or booking a cinema ticket.”

Deaf advocate, Louise Goldsmith, said: “I have difficulty communicating with anyone on the phone. I can hear that the person is speaking on the other end, but unfortunately cannot make out what they are saying because I rely on lipreading. But sometimes picking up the phone is the best way to get things done and in those situations, I often rely on my mum’s help. This app has been amazing for me as it has enabled me to become so much more independent when doing things as simple as booking an appointment at my local salon.”

According to BT’s research, the biggest barrier (78%) to a successful call is frontline staff who are not trained or are inexperienced at taking calls from deaf customers, while the use of automated transfer services that are inaudible (67%) and a lack of technology available to help handle calls are also highlighted.

With a range of unique challenges facing them, 89% of those in the deaf community said that businesses and organisations need to do more to make their services more accessible. When unable to complete a phone call with a business, almost 70% of respondents said that they have to physically go to the store and a further 18% said that making phone calls to businesses leaves them feeling like they are not valued.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT’s Enterprise Division in Northern Ireland, said: “How we use technology to connect with each other has changed rapidly in recent decades, and this simple service transforms the calling experience for the estimated 12 million deaf people in the UK.”

“We know from conversations with the community that bad telephone experiences are putting people off using the phone to contact businesses, which can make certain services inaccessible. We’re urging businesses to alert frontline staff to the service and download our helpful Relay UK Business Toolkit, which includes educational content about the service – and what to expect when taking a call from one of our Relay Assistants. We hope that by downloading the toolkit, businesses will be able to provide a seamless call experience for their deaf customers.”

Find out more at www.RelayUK.BT.com.

Find out more about BT’s work in enhancing accessibility for all users at: https://btplc.com/Inclusion/index.htm

Steps to download Relay UK

1. Search for the “Relay UK” at the App Store for iPhone or iPad, and in Google Play for Android devices

1. Install the app on your device

1. Link the app to the phone number you want to use to make calls from

1. Choose how you want to use the app: Type & Read, Speak & Read, or Type & Hear

1. Now you’re ready to make your first call

BT today announced the launch of its much-anticipated 5G mobile service for consumers and business customers in the UK. BT Plus and BT Business customers are the first to benefit from the option to move to the 5G service, which is available in more than 20 cities and large towns, including London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Coventry, Leicester and Bristol – with the 5G ambition to expand coverage to a further 25 towns and cities by the end of 2019.

Bringing BT customers the best connection possible, whether inside or outside the home or office, 5G provides a faster and more reliable connection, with an increase in speeds of around 100-150Mbps, even in the busiest of places. When they’re in a 5G area, customers can download the latest movie in seconds, and they won’t be competing for signal in the most crowded places, such as train stations and stadiums, so they can video call their family or colleagues to stay in touch while travelling.

BT Plus customers will be able to benefit from access to four new 5G plans – each offering double data. BT Plus customers can choose from a 12GB, 30GB, 60GB or 200GB* 5G handset plan, starting from just £45 per month. They will also be able to select a 5G smartphone from leading manufacturers, which include:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
• OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
• OPPO Reno 5G
• Huawei Mate 20 X

All BT’s 5G smartphone plans also allow customers to benefit from inclusive BT Sport app access, so they can keep up with all the live sporting action on the move as well as at home.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said: “Our 5G service provides customers with a faster and more reliable connection in high demand, crowded areas across the UK at peak times. When combined with the best fibre, the UK’s fastest 4G network and biggest wi-fi network, BT is helping consumers and businesses stay connected wherever they are and whatever they need to do.”

BT Plus is the UK’s first converged fibre and mobile plan and comes with BT’s Keep Connected Promise. If a BT Plus customer reports a fault with their home broadband, BT will switch on free, unlimited data on their BT mobiles within an hour and will also send a free 4G Wi-Fi Mini Hub to arrive the next day, with unlimited data to keep customers connected at home while their broadband is repaired. BT Plus customers also benefit from 24/7 dedicated UK and Ireland support.

BT’s 5G mobile service uses the EE 5G network, which is available in more places than any other 5G network. It will also be supported by the UK’s fastest 4G network and biggest wi-fi network – providing customers with the ultimate connectivity experience. BT’s 5G service can be accessed in some of London’s busiest train stations, including Waterloo, Liverpool Street and Charing Cross, and some of the UK’s busiest places, including London’s Piccadilly Circus, Manchester’s Albert Square and Birmingham’s Brindley Place.

5G for BT Business

BT Business Mobile 5G will give businesses greater capacity for a more reliable connection, as well as improved latency, giving them instant access to online services and applications hosted in the cloud.

BT Business customers can choose from a variety of 6GB, 30GB, or 60GB 5G mobile plans, with customers benefiting from a £10 discount on their handset or SIM only plans when they order together with BT Business Broadband.

BT Business Mobile’s 5G plans start from £35 per month** for a handset plan, or £15 per month** for a SIM-only plan and include unlimited calls and texts, as well as unlimited access to BT’s 5.5m Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK.

For more information on BT’s 5G smartphone and mobile plans, customers can visit: https://www.bt.com/mobile/5G

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

*With more than one million homes connected to BT’s flagship converged plan BT Plus, BT is launching Halo from BT in November 2019 to provide even better connections and service to customers across the UK. Halo customers can benefit from unlimited data and calls on mobile and at home. Customers who sign up for 5G and Plus plans will be upgraded to Halo from November.

BT Mobile we will offer an unlimited mobile data plan when Halo launches in November. The plan will replace the current consumer 200GB price point (customers already on this plan will be moved over to unlimited at no extra cost or additional contract length). Further detail on Halo from BT will be announced in November.

**Price includes £10 discount when taken with BT Business Broadband

BT has signed a deal to become the lead partner of Northern Ireland men’s international football teams until 2024. The partnership will see the BT logo appear on all training kit worn by all Men’s, Boys’ and Disability Teams from November.

The partnership with Northern Ireland football will aim to connect the nation at every level of the game, and especially at grassroots level. More details about the broader ambitions of the partnership will be revealed in the coming months and is part of a wider new BT brand and sponsorship strategy, to champion the UK.

Marc Allera, chief executive of BT’s consumer division, said: “To be the lead partner for Northern Ireland is a proud moment for BT and is part of our ambition to be a national champion across the UK. Our partnership will reach all areas of football, including grassroots football and communities.”

Irish FA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson said: “We are delighted to welcome BT as the title sponsor of our men’s, boys’ and disability teams. The deal with BT will also allow us to develop the game further at all levels in Northern Ireland and we are confident it will be a positive partnership for both ourselves and BT. We are confident BT’s support will be of immense benefit to the association as we strive to promote, foster and develop football for all in Northern Ireland.”

The partnership is part of a wider move by BT to partner with all the Home Nations for the next five years. The partnership with all the nations will start in November when the men’s teams will be aiming to qualify for next summer’s Euro 2020 tournament.

This month Barefoot, the UK-wide project that helps primary teachers understand the importance of computational thinking, has launched a new set of teaching resources with a code cracking theme, including a competition to win the Code Cracking Cup and a trip to Bletchley Park.

The new, free resource is an adventure into the exciting history of World War Two coding. Created for pupils aged 9-11, it's made up of six 'top secret lessons' for teachers to choose from including code cracking, researching and filmmaking.

One of the lesson plans is about creating a film story board, which can be entered into a competition to win The Code Cracking Cup and a VIP class trip to Bletchley Park (home of the original code crackers). The trip will include an award- winning learning experience at Bletchley Park and £500 will be paid towards travel. A discretionary cash prize is available for schools who may not be able to make the journey.

Liz Williams, BT’s Digital Skills Director for Young People, said:

“BT is committed to giving the next generation the digital skills they need for the future. Our Barefoot programme helps primary teachers deliver the computing curriculum brilliantly, and the Code Cracking Cup is an exciting opportunity for primary classes across Northern Ireland to demonstrate their computational thinking skills. In the context of WW2 and coding, the pupils will be collaborating, debugging and tinkering to bring their class to victory! We can’t wait to see the entries.”

The lesson plan resources come complete with a host of downloadable materials including lesson plans, presentations, classroom resources, posters, ID reward cards, an animated film and audio soundtrack – all to help teachers and their pupils have fun and fully engage with the content of the lessons.

Securing information, data and communications has been part of BT’s DNA for more than 70 years. This goes back to World War Two, when a BT (General Post Office, as it was then) engineer called Tommy Flowers built Colossus, the world's first programmable electronic computer. This was used to help decipher encrypted messages, playing a huge role in bolstering the UK’s defences.

It may not be one of the things we’re best known for, but BT is now one of the world’s leading cyber security providers, employing around 3,000 security professionals globally. BT prevents 4,000 attempted cyber security attacks every day.

We are tackling the problem by making sure that we're recruiting and training the world's best cyber security experts; using the latest technology to stop the hackers; and working with schools to make sure that the next generation are prepared to deal with the issue.

For more information about all our Code Cracking resources, details about how to enter the competition and full terms and conditions go to: https://www.barefootcomputing.org/codecracking.Teachers will need to register on the Barefoot website first at https://www.barefootcomputing.org

The closing date for entries is 9 December 2019.

Notes to Editors

Barefoot, which is supported by BT and Computing at Schools, provides simple, accessible resources for teachers to help them deliver the primary computing curriculum brilliantly. It's all completely free, with high quality lessons produced by teachers using the latest research in pedagogy. Barefoot has helped over 53% of primary schools across Northern Ireland with their computing lessons so far.

While most primary teachers already cover some level of computing, Barefoot helps them use computational thinking to take those skills across the curriculum in a way that’s easy to teach and fun to learn.

· BT call handlers can now locate 999 calls from smartphones to within 3 metres

Adults in Northern Ireland have, on average, called the 999 emergency number twice in their lives, according to a new survey.

The poll, commissioned by BT, reveals that most calls to the 999 number are now made from a mobile phone. 70% of adults in Northern Ireland have made a 999 call from a mobile, compared to 41% making the same call from a landline.

The survey has been published by BT to mark this year's 999 Day (9 September), an annual celebration of the work of emergency services across the UK. Six BT call centres handle all the UK's 999 calls in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, passing calls to the relevant emergency service.

The number of 999 calls handled by BT has increased significantly in recent years, jumping from around 25 million calls a year in 2000, to close to 33 million calls last year. BT’s 999 call centre in Northern Ireland handled around 22% (7.1m) of these calls. However, over a quarter (27%) of adults believe that there were less than 10 million 999 calls made in the last year.

The poll of adults across the UK, conducted by Opinion Matters, showed that many people are not clear when to call 999 or 112, and when to call non-emergency numbers such as 101 and 111. Three percent of adults in Northern Ireland said they don’t know when to call 999 and only 47% know that they can call 101 for a non-emergency police issue. Women across the UK are more likely than men to know they can call 111 in a medical non-emergency, with half of women (52%) knowing when to call 111, compared to under 2 in 5 (38%) of men.

More than 63% of adults in Northern Ireland also did not know that smartphones can now provide the exact location of a 999 caller by sending an automatic text to the 999 call handler. The majority of mobile phones (70%) – including Android and Apple smartphones – can now detect that an emergency call is being made, and sends the caller’s precise GPS position to within three metres to the 999 service during the call. This can help emergency services get to incidents more quickly and save lives.

Paul Murnaghan, regional director for BT’s Enterprise Division in Northern Ireland, said: “We are now handling record numbers of 999 calls each year. There may be several reasons for this, but it’s clear from the survey that not everyone knows when to call the emergency number, and when to call the range of non-emergency numbers.

“With nearly 80% of people now using a smartphone, we have a lot of people carrying potential life-savers in their pockets. Using a smartphone’s location service, our call handlers can now pinpoint a 999 caller to within three metres in seconds. This could mean, for example, being able to tell which side of the motorway the call has come from, helping an ambulance get to a scene ten minutes earlier, which is potentially life-saving.

“Our call handlers and emergency services do phenomenal work, so anything we can do to help them respond more efficiently, and potentially save lives, has to be a good thing.”

With numerous payphone kiosks including 180 traditional red boxes available to be adopted across Northern Ireland, BT is encouraging community groups to seize the opportunity to do something wonderful with these phone boxes that often have little or no usage.

BT will continue to cover the electricity to the adopted kiosks, which can be turned into any exciting new ventures to benefit local communities – such as housings for defibrillators, mini-libraries, coffee shops, miniature art museums, sweet shops and information centres. One payphone in Devon was even turned into the “world’s smallest nightclub.”

Commenting on the launch, Paul Murnaghan, BT’s Enterprise division director in Northern Ireland said: “We are delighted to be announcing the launch of the Adopt a Kiosk Scheme in Northern Ireland.

“What better way to make use of our existing kiosks than to offer communities the chance to ‘adopt’ them in their local area and give them a new lease of life?

“It’s simple to apply and individual assessments will take place to confirm if the adoption is possible and whether there is availability in a specific area. The opportunities are endless and since we launched the scheme in other parts of the UK, more than 5,500 communities have seized the chance to do something great with their local phone box.”

Communities can adopt a kiosk in Northern Ireland if they are a recognised local authority, such as a district or borough council, a parish, or town hall. Boxes can also be adopted by registered charities or by individuals who have a payphone on their own land. With a large number of people in Northern Ireland now using a mobile phone, usage of payphones has declined by around 90 per cent in the past decade. The Adopt a Kiosk scheme allows communities to find new uses for kiosks to benefit local people.

For further details on how to apply to Adopt a Kiosk, simply log on to www.bt.com/adopt where application forms and information can be found.

Notes to Editors

Private individuals cannot purchase kiosks unless they own the land where the kiosk is currently placed.

You can adopt a phone box if you are a:

Recognised local authority, such as a district or borough council

Parish, community, town hall or equivalent

Registered charity

Private landowner – anyone who has a telephone box on their land

BT announces it is launching 5G this autumn. BT Plus customers will be the first BT mobile customers to benefit from the option to upgrade to 5G, making BT the first provider to offer 5G as part of a converged mobile and broadband package.

The move will continue to bring BT Plus customers the best connections possible from BT, in and out of the home. 5G from BT Mobile will use the EE 5G network, which launched in May in six cities. 5G will be rolled out to the busiest parts of a further ten cities across the UK by the end of 2019 – giving BT Mobile customers the most reliable mobile experience, even in the busiest areas.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer division, said: “We’re bringing together the best fibre and mobile connections to help keep our customers connected, both on the go and at home. Launching 5G for BT customers will give them the opportunity to experience the fastest mobile speeds in the busiest areas of the UK, and our BT Plus customers will have the first opportunity to sign up for 5G.”

5G for BT mobile customers will be available in the busiest parts of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol by the end of 2019.

From autumn 5G will be available for BT and BT business customers and will provide a more reliable experience and higher speeds in high demand, crowded areas at peak times. 5G works alongside the UK’s fastest 4G network and biggest WiFi network to help consumers and businesses stay connected, wherever they are and whatever they need to do.

BT Plus is the UK’s first converged fibre and mobile plan and comes with BT’s Keep Connected Promise. If a BT Plus customer reports a fault with their home broadband, BT will switch on free, unlimited data on their BT mobiles within an hour and will also send a free 4G Wi-Fi Mini Hub to arrive the next day, with unlimited data to keep customers connected at home while their broadband is repaired. BT Plus customers also benefit from 24/7 dedicated UK and Ireland support.

Further details on the launch of 5G for BT Plus customers including 5G device availability will be announced in due course. Click here to register your interest, and to find out more about becoming a BT Plus customer.

• BT’s workplace improvement and consolidation programme is the biggest of its type ever undertaken in the UK and is expected to complete by 2023

• More than 300 BT office locations across the UK will be consolidated to around 30

• All of the new locations will benefit from 5G connectivity

Today, BT Group revealed the first eight of the locations that will house its workplaces of the future as part of a three-to-five-year programme initially announced in May 2018 to improve and consolidate its workplaces across the UK.

‘The Better Workplace Programme’ will consolidate BT Group’s footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30, containing modern, future-fit buildings, including corporate offices, contact centres and specialist sites. It is the largest programme of its type in the UK. BT’s telephone exchanges will be retained by the Group.

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Ipswich (Adastral Park), London and Manchester are the first towns and cities to be selected and will house a variety of the company’s operations. This is a clear signal that BT is committed to the whole of the UK, with locations in all four countries and their capitals. Though detailed plans of BT’s footprint in each location are still to be finalised, some existing BT buildings will be refurbished while others will see BT move into new offices.

BT Group plays an important role in the UK’s four countries and is responsible for generating £1 in every £75 produced across the UK, according to an independent report. It also generated £22.8 billion to the UK’s economy in “Gross Value Added” GVA, during the 2017/18 financial year.*

All eight locations will benefit from 5G coverage, announced on 22 May. Teams within the future-fit buildings will benefit from state-of-the-art mobile connectivity alongside the existing fibre connections.

“The Better Workplace Programme is about bringing our people together in brilliant spaces, and transforming the way we work,” BT Group chief executive Philip Jansen said. “Revealing these eight locations is just the first step; we have dedicated teams working on identifying the best buildings to move into and which ones to redesign for the future. As a result of this programme, BT people will be housed in inspiring offices that are better for our business and better for our customers.”

As announced in May 2018, BT Group will also exit its St Paul’s headquarters in London and is currently identifying a new home for the business in the capital. Further details on ‘The Better Workplace Programme’ will be revealed in due course.

‘The Economic Impact of BT Group plc in the UK’ report, by Hatch Regeneris, shows that the communications company generated a £592m contribution – expressed as “Gross Value Added” (GVA)* – to the Northern Ireland economy during the 2017/18 financial year.

The report estimates that the equivalent of 6,980 full-time jobs in Northern Ireland are supported through BT’s direct employment, its spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of its employees.

BT Group directly employs 2,650 people in Northern Ireland, with a further 579 employed as contractors. This is equivalent to one in every 10 employees working in the Northern Ireland IT and communications sectors, reinforcing its position as one of the region’s leading employers.

The Group also spent nearly £154 million with suppliers based in Northern Ireland.

Across the UK, BT Group directly employed 94,800 people (FTE) and supported an estimated total of 290,000 full-time jobs. It also generated, in total, almost £23bn (£22.8bn) to the UK economy.

Tim Fanning, Director at Hatch Regeneris, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy, particularly across the nations and regions.

“BT Group is almost unique in contributing to the economies of virtually every community across the UK, supporting significant levels of GVA spend and employment opportunities per region.”

The report from Hatch Regeneris comes in addition to a recent report by PWC¹ which highlighted that BT Group is the 5^th highest tax contributor in the UK among FTSE 100 companies, and the highest contributor among non-financial companies. The PWC report also identified BT as the largest capital expenditure investor in the UK.

The report has been welcomed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Angela McGowan, Regional Director, CBIsaid: “This latest research demonstrates the extent to which BT continues to have a massive impact on our local economy and jobs. It’s great to see this significant presence in Northern Ireland.

“BT Group’s investment in the area not only means a boost to the local economy, but also to skills and high quality jobs, including recruiting apprentices and graduates. BT’s investment in the fastest networks and latest technology is also vital for the region as well as the fact that they are a large purchaser for local supply chains. BT’s success is based on smart investments in both technology and people.”

Jane Wood, BT Group UK nations and regions director, said: “Few companies play as important a role in Northern Ireland as BT Group. Not only does BT connect friends, families and businesses across the UK, but we also put premium fuel in the tank of the nation’s economy. The report shows that BT generates £1 in every £65 of wealth in Northern Ireland.

“We’re proud to be one of the region’s largest private sector employers and investors. Our investments, including the latest 5G mobile technology through our mobile network EE, will ensure the UK continues to be one of the world’s best-connected economies.

“With more than 2,650 people directly employed in the region, spending their salaries in local businesses, as well as regularly volunteering on activities such as our Barefoot tech literacy programme in schools, our people are at the heart of nearly every community.”

The report includes the contribution of all parts of BT Group, including Openreach, mobile network provider EE and BT’s Consumer and Enterprise divisions.

The report highlights that, across Northern Ireland in 2017/18, BT Group:

Directly employed a total of 3,230 people (FTE, including contractors) and supported an estimated 6,980 full-time jobs

Spent £154 million with suppliers based in the Northern Ireland

Generated £592 million total GVA impact (including indirect and induced effects)

Directly employed 1 in every 230 employees in the private sector across Northern Ireland, and 1 in every 10 in the IT and Communications sectors

Supported £1 in every £65 of GVA in the Northern Ireland economy and 1 in every 100 employees working in the region’s private sector.

Across the UK in 2017/18, BT Group:

Directly employed 94,800 people (FTE) and supported an estimated total of 290,000 full-time jobs

Employees committed more than 37,000 volunteering days to worthy causes

Spent £510 million on research and development, making it one of the UK’s top investors in innovation.

The full report is available at: www.bt.com/reports

ENDS

Notes to Editors

*Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the value of all goods and services produced in an economy. GVA combines wages and operating profits from companies and other organisations. Growing GVA can reflect improvements in workforce skills, productivity, R&D and innovation. The figures for BT show the value added directly through BT's services and additional value generated through BT's suppliers across the nations and regions.

¹ PWC Total Tax Contribution of UK FTSE100 companies 2018. BT is:

5th highest contributor (amongst FTSE100 respondents) of UK taxes (borne and collected) – with the 4 slots above BT occupied by banks (HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, RBS);

4th highest payer of UK wages and salaries;

2nd highest overall distributor of “value” into the UK, where value is the sum of taxes borne, taxes collected, wages and salaries paid, interest paid, and equity returns (which are available for reinvestment, dividends and pension deficit payments) ;

Highest capex investor.