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LONDON (Alliance News) - BT Group PLC Wednesday announced the launch of new 4G mobile data bundles for its existing broadband customers on a SIM only basis, its first foray back into the consumer mobile space in over a decade.
The company has announced three plans on a 'bring-your-own-phone' basis, meaning it will not provide mobile devices, including deals which provide its BT Sport service for free. The deals are exclusive to broadband customers, although it said BT Mobile customers can also access BT Sport via a mobile application, even if they don't have BT broadband.
The launch marks BT's first step into the consumer mobile space following its deal to buy mobile operator EE Ltd for GBP12.5 billion earlier this year, although the company had already had plans to return to the space prior to the acquisition through an existing mobile virtual network operator agreement with EE.
It said Wednesday that it will reveal more details about what customers will be offered after the deal completes.
BT pulled out of the mobile market in 2001 when it opted to spin off its Cellnet division, which was then relaunched as 02 in 2002. However, it returned to the space last July with a mobile offering for businesses called BT One Phone.
The telecoms company, like many of its peers, is looking to build a quad-play offering, meaning it can offer broadband, telephone, television and mobile capabilities to its customers.
"Offering BT customers the UK?s best value 4G data deal is a great way to start our journey towards re-establishing ourselves as a major player in consumer mobile," said Chief Executive of BT's Consumer arm John Petter in a statement.
Elsewhere Wednesday, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, which owns UK network Three, agreed to acquire 02 UK from Telefónica SA for GBP10.25 billion, including deferred upside interest sharing payments of up to GBP1 billion.
The deal, which is expected to close by the end of June 2016, will see the combining of Britain's second-largest wireless provider O2 with Britain's fourth-largest wireless carrier 3, which is owned by Hutchison. The deal will create the no 1 mobile operator in the UK with almost 33 million customers on a combined basis.
Shares in BT are trading up 0.6% at 468.30 pence Wednesday morning.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; hanassmith@alliancenews.com; @HanaSSAllNews
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