BT launches sovereign data platform for business and public sector

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain's BT launched a sovereign data platform for its public-sector and business customers on Thursday to store and process their data in the country, responding to increasing demand for higher levels of resilience.

Data sovereignty is a growing issue for companies and governments as the threat of cyberattacks escalates, regulation becomes more stringent and artificial intelligence proliferates.

Jon James, chief executive of BT Business, said the company was the only provider with the scale, capabilities and experience to enable true UK sovereign solutions.

"Organisations are increasingly looking for sovereignty in their services and it's up to us to make sure we deliver for our customers," he said.

"That means making sure we're offering the right sovereign solutions that ensure data and operations remain secure, compliant, resilient and future-proofed."

BT, Britain's biggest broadband provider and the owner of the Openreach national fibre network, said the platform would underpin new voice, cloud and AI services. It plans to enable a sovereign option for a range of its existing products in the first half of 2026.

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