BT is stepping up its UK mobile efforts, prompting speculation that it could soon launch a mass-market consumer mobile service.
The company revealed yesterday that it has signed an agreement with EE, which will see the mobile operator provide exclusive mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) services to BT’s customers and employees.
BT, which has around 88,000 employees worldwide, said it "decided to seek a new mobile partnership" earlier this year. The process saw it ditch its previous mobile supplier Vodafone in favour of EE. O2 was also reported to have bid for the BT contract.
Although BT currently provides a range of mobile services, primarily to large corporates, the public sector and small and medium-sized enterprises, it does not have a retail consumer mobile service. For consumers, the company pointed to its "strong wi-fi presence", saying that that it "plans to build on" this technology platform.
However, The Daily Telegraph speculated that the deal with EE could result in BT pushing back into the retail mobile space, over a decade after it sold off of O2 (formerly BT Cellnet) with an initial public offering.
The former BT chief executive Ian Livingstone told The Sunday Telegraph earlier this year that it was "highly possible" that BT would launch a consumer offering.
The multi-year agreement remains subject to final contract, BT added.
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