EU Communicate Newsletter – November 2016€¦ · November 2015. That’s 27 per cent higher than the previous year. Upload speed was 3.7Mbps, a 28 per cent increase. David McDonald

This Autumn the European Commission has set out plans for a Gigabit Society, a new Electronic Communications Code, and 5G. As a multi-billion Euro investor BT is helping deliver the digital future in the UK and beyond, and we welcome the drive to incentivise investments in fixed and mobile networks by all operators and in all technologies. In this edition of EU Communicate we take a look at BT’s consumer broadband performance, free WiFi in London, the UK Digital Communications Review, and our latest investments in fibre and 4G. We also look at some of the content services running over our networks such as BT Sports, a pitch-side view of Premier League football, and how we help track down illegal TV streaming suspects. We report on how BT Cloud has received a major upgrade, allowing users to synchronise the latest from the phone to the computer, and we see how BT is investing in society, from carbon reductions to teaching computer science to over 700,000 children.

Adrian Whitchurch VP European Affairs

EU Communicate Newsletter – November 2016BT European Affairs Newsletter • November 2016 • www.bt.com/europeanaffairs

❱ UK Digital Communications Review

Ofcom’s consultation on Digital Communications Review ended in October. It is in everyone’s interest for this review to come to a conclusion. That is particularly important for companies like BT who want to get on with investing heavily in the UK’s digital infrastructure. Nine out of ten homes can order superfast broadband today, but BT needs to fill the gaps while investing heavily in even faster speeds and better service. That’s why BT has pledged to spend a further £6bn on its fixed and mobile networks over the next three years.

BT remains positive that a voluntary settlement can be reached with Ofcom and has offered significant governance changes and meaningful commitments to consumers and businesses. These changes will see Openreach have its own Board with an independent chair and a majority of independent members. The business will also enjoy greater autonomy and budgetary control so that it will be even more independent and transparent.

BT believes these changes are right for the UK and meet Ofcom’s requirements. Ofcom is reviewing all submissions before any further statements are made.

IN THIS ISSUE • FOOTBALL IN VR • INVESTMENT IN FIBRE • TEACHING ABOUT CYBERSECURITY • LEADING IN SUSTAINABILITY

❱ Report shows our strong broadband performanceOfcom’s latest report shows BT’s Consumer broadband products are all performing well. Most notable are improvements in fibre download and upload speeds and latency – the time it takes to send information from one point to the next – since the last report was published in February 2015.

The report compares the performance of 18 popular broadband packages, from seven major internet service providers. The average actual UK broadband speed reached 28.9Mbps in November 2015. That’s 27 per cent higher than the previous year. Upload speed was 3.7Mbps, a 28 per cent increase.

David McDonald (Director of Broadband and Bundles) says: “This report shows the UK is making very strong progress with superfast broadband, an area where it is already ahead of other major European nations.”

❱ Free ultrafast Wi-Fi, mobile charging, calls and local information coming to LondonLondoners will benefit from the fastest free public Wi-Fi available, free phone calls and a range of other free digital services from next year, thanks to a new partnership between BT, Intersection, the urban innovation company behind LinkNYC, and Primesight, a leading UK outdoor advertising company. A new service, called LinkUK from BT, will see sleek, ultramodern kiosks called Links rolled out to major high streets across the capital.

The rollout also marks the next evolution of BT’s public payphone service as hundreds of BT’s existing phone boxes across the capital will be replaced by the new Links. As well as providing a far greater range of services to the public for

free, the Links will bring digital innovation to the streets of London, while helping to reduce the amount of clutter on the street. This is because they take up less space on the pavement and will be installed in smaller numbers than the existing payphones they replace.

❱ EU Framework Review - BT’s position on the proposal for a new European Electronic Communications Code Last month the European Commission published its ambitious plans to reform the EU telecommunications Framework. BT strongly welcomes the focus on prioritising investment in in fixed and mobile networks by all operators and in all technologies. BT already offers gigabit speeds to businesses across the UK and we plan to reach up to twelve million premises with ultrafast fixed broadband by the end of 2020. We share the Commission’s analysis that demand for bandwidth is increasing and that there will be an accelerating trend to ultrafast networks. The

most effective way to advance this is to encourage all forms of network upgrade and deployment, whether cable, FTTC, FTTH/P or mobile. This will allow the maximum number of consumers and businesses to enjoy higher speeds as they become available. Our mobile arm, EE, has driven the fastest uptake of 4G in any Member State and our ambition is to cover 95% of the UK geography by 2020. We are keen for Europe to be ambitious on 5G – a key part of our vision - and this will require a strong pro-investment regulatory framework for fixed and mobile.

BT European Affairs Newsletter • November 2016 • www.bt.com/europeanaffairs

❱ BT to invest billions more on fibre, 4G and customer service BT’s Openreach and EE businesses will between them spend around six billion pounds in capital expenditure over the next three years in the first phase of a plan to extend superfast broadband and 4G coverage beyond 95 per cent of the country by 2020.

Ultrafast broadband will be deployed to a minimum of ten million homes and businesses in the same period, subject to regulatory support, with an ambition to reach twelve million. There will be an increased focus on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology within this plan with the aim being to reach two million premises with the technology, mainly in new housing developments, high streets and business parks.

Customer service will be another area of focus with the company revealing a series of new initiatives to better meet the evolving needs of its customers. These included, BT Consumer to reduce the standard time to fic fine line faults by 24h, as well as pledging to handle

90% of its customers’ calls in the UK by the end of 2017. These new commitments follow the recent announcement that EE will handle 100% of its customers’ calls in the UK by the end of this year.

BT Group Chief Executive Gavin Patterson said: “The UK is a digital leader today and it is vital that it remains one in the future. That is why we are announcing a further six billion pounds of investment in our UK networks, subject to regulatory certainty. Networks require money and a lot of it. Virgin and BT have both pledged to invest and we will now see if others follow our lead. Infrastructure competition is good for the UK and so is the current Openreach model whereby others can piggyback on our investment should they want to.”

❱ Getting a pitch-side view of the action

Four flagship EE stores in London were offering fans the chance to experience a Premier League clash between Chelsea and Arsenal live in virtual reality (VR) as part of a new BT Sport trial, which was to be experienced in EE stores at Westfield Stratford, Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch.

Marc Allera (EE Chief Executive) says: “We know that our customers love watching sport on the go and that’s why they love the fact they can now enjoy the BT Sport app as part of their EE plan. This fantastic VR trial of BT Sport in four flagship London stores is yet another example of the additional benefits and unique experiences our customers will enjoy now we are part of the wider BT Group.”

BT Sport filmed the game using VR cameras and worked with LiveLike, a VR platform company that allows broadcasters and sports teams to deliver immersive viewing experiences.

Jamie Hindhaugh (BT Sport Chief Operating Officer) says: “Fans and viewers are at the heart of our coverage and this is a great opportunity to experience this innovative new technology live in four of EE’s top London stores.”


❱ BT Sport dispels myths to MPs At an event organised by BT’s Group Public Affairs team at the House of Commons, Jake Humphrey (presenter of BT Sport), Rio Ferdinand (English former professional football player) and John Petter (Chief Executive BT Consumer) described how BT Sport has become the most successful challenger to Sky in UK sports broadcasting.

BT explained it has brought more sport into UK homes and made it accessible by offering it as part of a broadband package, or at much lower prices than Sky, and highlighted its innovations. MPs were complimentary about BT Sport and said their constituents praise the service. But they also wanted to know whether our coverage favoured certain teams and what BT is doing for women’s sports.

John Petter said: “The event gave us the chance to dispel the myth, put about by our competitors, that BT channels money away from network investment into sports rights. BT Sport has been hugely positive for sports fans, pay-TV consumers, the BT brand and our bottom line.”

❱ BT helps tracking down illegal TV streaming suspects BT’s threat intelligence and investigations team provided evidence that helped identify people believed to be behind the worldwide distribution and transmission of illegally modified TV set-top boxes.

BT’s investigations uncovered that illegally modified devices were widely available to buy on the internet. They were marketed as genuine and legitimate for use anywhere in the world,

for an annual fee of around £400. Some of the channels include pay-per-view sports, latest movies and UK broadcast television only available to UK licence fee-payers.

Acting on BT’s information, the City of London Police intellectual property crime unit (PIPCU) mounted dawn raids on the business premises of an IPTV seller and residential addresses in Chorley, Lancashire. They arrested three people on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering offences.

So far, officers have recovered more than 30 servers and set-top boxes. They’re believed to have been modified with illegal software, enabling access to hundreds of paid for subscription-only channels.


❱ Industrial-strength connections A new service provides mobile connectivity to customers in harsh industrial environments, targeting new areas of BT’s customers’ technology budget.

Poush Bharadwaj (Global Propositions Director) says: “We’ve partnered with technology developers Rajant to provide Industrial Wireless. It’s a kinetic wireless mesh network. Rajant’s technology is unique in maintaining connectivity between moving vehicles and people as long as there is a line of sight.” It means companies can automate the tracking of industrial equipment and vehicles in remote areas. Sensors, for example, can detect changes in the environment, or signal equipment failure.

Once customers have bought Industrial Wireless, it’s easier to sell supporting security, consulting, collaboration, asset tracking and workforce automation products and services. Our first customer, Anglo American, is already deploying

Industrial Wireless in South Africa. Poush says that the next step will be to expand to other countries.

❱ New store shows digital possible The Alexander Black retail store (showcase) at Adastral Park in Suffolk demonstrates the “digital possible” to retailers. The showcase thus is not dead, says Alison Wiltshire (Global Practice Lead, Retail and Consumer Goods). “Ninety per cent of retail sales still

go through the physical store,” she adds. “Alexander Black shows our customers how they can meet shoppers’ rising expectations.” What makes BT different is that it can integrate these new solutions and make them work with existing technologies the retailer may already have.

Hubertus von Roenne (VP Global Industry Practices) says that Alexander Black allows our retailer customers to get their hands on digital touch points such as a shop window display to show how they could interact with shoppers out of hours, a memory mirror with a 360 degree view for trying on new outfits, intelligent merchandise labels and a mobile app for the café.


❱ Major upgrade for free BT CloudBT’s new update will allow users to back up their whole smartphone and automatically sync music from their computer to their phone. And it comes with our premium security as standard. Premium security means all your data is kept in UK datacentres, never used for advertising, and checked for viruses and malware when uploaded.

Now BT Cloud will automatically back up your entire phone to the cloud service. So if you get a new phone, it’s really simple to get your photos, videos, documents and contacts straight back onto your new device. It will also automatically take the music from your computer and make it instantly available on all your devices -without taking up valuable storage on your device.

BT Has been trialling the new features for months with hundreds of people. Ninety-eight per cent would recommend it to a friend. The upgrade’s also available for iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices from all app stores.

❱ Teaching global leaders about cybersecurity Cambridge University’s Judge Business School is including a module led by Les Anderson in its flagship advanced leadership programme (ALP), which is the world’s first executive management programme with a cybersecurity module.

Jude Andrew (General Manager Business Development Oil and Gas Strategic Clients) says: “Over the past two years, cybersecurity has leapt to the top of the boardroom agenda. However, corporate directors continue to struggle with the complexity of the subject. This makes it more difficult for them to assess if their cybersecurity strategy is aligned with the

transformation that digitisation is driving in virtually every industry in the global economy. “CIOs and even CEOs of large corporates have been replaced as a result of breaches.”

Following the success, BT is now in discussions with Imperial College Business School in London to provide a similar module to be led by Luke Beeson (CP, Security UK and Global Banking & Financial Markets).


❱ BT is leading the UK in sustainability The latest report from Carbon Clear (a carbon management advisory company) BT first among FTSE 100 companies for the way we’re managing the risks of climate change. It’s the third time in a row we’ve come top. The annual report evaluates whether companies are genuinely sustainable. It measures BT’s carbon management strategies, BT’s carbon reductions, how well BT communicates with stakeholders and

innovation. The report highlights that BT has already reduced net carbon emissions by 81 per cent compared to 1996-97.

Niall Dunne (Chief Sustainability Officer) says that it is great to see that our lead in setting game-changing science-based emissions targets is inspiring other FTSE 100 companies to do the same.”


❱ Marking the fight against child abuse Mike Galvin (BT Director Internet Operations) spoke at the 20th anniversary of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) which took place at the BT Tower in London. Since its launch, IWF has identified and removed more than 250,000 web pages depicting child abuse. The majority of the children are under the age of ten. Some are as young as two.

Gavin Patterson says that BT shares the IWF’s determination to eradicate online child sexual abuse imagery.

❱ Big strides for Barefoot The Barefoot programme which BT leads, is helping more than 26,000 teachers understand and teach computer science to more than 700,000 children. Now the Scottish Government and Education Scotland are backing the programme.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney visited a school to see a Barefoot workshop in action. He also unveiled new online resources for teachers tailored to the Scottish curriculum – with key content translated into Gaelic. Wales and Northern Ireland are set to follow soon.

Liz Williams (Director Tech Literacy and Education programmes) says: “The impact is incredible, with 95 per cent of teachers saying they’re more confident to teach ‘computational thinking’ after a volunteer-delivered workshop.”

❱ EU Affairs team contact details How to contact us

Adrian Whitchurch VP European Affairs ++32 2 237 1718 [email protected]

Till Kupfer VP Trade and International Affairs ++32 2 237 1713 [email protected]

Henk Mannekens Manager European Affairs ++32 2 237 1757 [email protected]

Deborah D’Hauwer BT Graduate BT EU Affairs ++32 2 237 1720

❱ Premier League partnership to inspire disabled BT wants to give disabled people the opportunity to become more active and develop new skills and confidence. Gavin Patterson (Group Chief Executive) says that BT’s partnership with the Premier League underpins BT’s firm belief that disabled people should have every opportunity that non-disabled people have.

The BT Sport Films team will produce and broadcast short films to make millions of people aware of the initiative. To mark the launch, BT Sport has created two short films. They highlight the existing work around disability of West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, West Ham United and Southampton.

Furthermore, PL clubs will receive funds to employ a dedicated disability officer. The officer will work with local groups to make sport a path to education, apprenticeships and employability.

Documents

EU Communicate Newsletter – November 2016€¦ · November 2015. That’s 27 per cent higher than the previous year. Upload speed was 3.7Mbps, a 28 per cent increase. David McDonald