DIALLING INTO THE FUTURE

hen Sir William Fothergill Cooke co-founded the Electric Telegraph Company in 1846, he set in motion a new era in information sharing. His telegraph system, patented nine years earlier, sent messages at unprecedented speed. What began as a link between Euston and Camden in London soon paved the way for nationwide connectivity. Nearly two centuries later, BT – tracing its roots back to those first lines – now leads the mobile revolution. In today’s mobile-first world, seamless connectivity is vital. BT, enhanced by EE’s network, keeps businesses secure, flexible and always connected. “If it can’t be done on a mobile device, people question if it’s worth doing,” says Sally Fuller, BT’s director of business mobile. Once an executive luxury, mobile technology is now essential. As businesses evolve, BT and EE are shaping the future of connectivity. Their networks support a wide range of organisations, from emergency services to AI-driven workplaces, detecting 2,000 cyberthreats per second while enabling smarter, more efficient ways to work. With advanced mobile integration and ever-expanding capabilities, they are not just adapting to change – they are driving it, building a digital backbone for the UK, where technology is the engine of progress.

From the earliest days of mass communication, the world’s oldest telecoms company, BT, has been connecting people for good. And today, with EE, it runs the biggest fixed and mobile networks in the UK

Dialling into the future

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Hannah Prevett of The Times and Chris Sims of BT delve into the News UK archives to explore the history of the company, its impact on British life, society and business,and the technology that lies ahead

WATCH: BT visits the News UK Archive

“Mobile keeps businesses secure, productive and innovative – while ensuring the experience is simple, safe and empowering. It should be at the heart of every decision,” says Sally Fuller, director of business mobile at BT. Yet many companies still see it as just another expense. AI-powered devices now transcribe, translate and summarise, helping to streamline workflows. But without a clear AI strategy, businesses risk falling behind. The rise of “shadow AI” adds further security hazards, as employees turn to unapproved tools, unknowingly exposing sensitive data. “If businesses don’t provide the right devices, people will find their own – and that’s a huge risk,” says Fuller. Strong security, effective device management and access to reliable tech are now business essentials. For frontline staff, such as social workers, police officers and delivery drivers, connectivity is a lifeline. BT’s partnership with Peoplesafe has enabled personal safety apps on smartwatches, offering real-time emergency support when it matters most. Fuller is excited about the future of mobile for business, but cautions: “We’ve got to be human-centred in how we manage it.”

THE HUMAN FACTOR

From legacy to leg-up

How does it feel to be part of an iconic British brand, and how has BT’s focus shifted during your time at the company? It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that drives such positive change for the UK – something embedded in our culture. BT has a rich history. Its legacy is about the network and the innovations we have pioneered, such as early telephony – stringing copper between destinations. We built the copper networks but now it’s more about cutting-edge technologies like 5G and quantum communications. For example, BT ranks first of all British companies owning AI patents in Europe. While our legacy is the network we have built, the future is about how we use that network as a trusted connector of people, business and society. We’ve supported millions of customers over the years, but we’ve also moved with the times and are now better equipped than any other network to support the businesses of the future, and ultimately economic growth across the country. I was with Orange/EE from 1999 and I’ve worked for BT since the acquisition in 2016. In that time, the services have evolved and the core focus is now on delivering a robust digital backbone for the UK. These days a lot of our smaller customers are running their businesses entirely on their mobiles. That’s not just calling customers, they’re using apps to manage things like accounting and tax submissions – things that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. We see the same spirit at the bigger firms, where it’s about enabling large teams to do their jobs safely and effectively. BT has always been a company that connects people, and that hasn’t changed. What role does BT play in supporting the digital economy and helping businesses embrace the opportunities it presents? As an infrastructure provider, BT has a dual role – delivering a reliable, future-proof network and showing customers the possibilities that digital technology presents. With the network in the best possible shape, the exciting thing for me is actually the next step, which is about education. At the end of the day, all the fibre in the ground and all the radio waves don’t count for much if customers can’t use that capability to solve their business problems and help create growth. So we’re focused on educating customers on how to better utilise digital solutions – whether that’s small businesses using mobile apps or larger organisations adopting new ways of working.And the opportunity for the UK is huge. Just a 1 per cent improvement in productivity across smaller businesses, for example, could generate nearly £100 billion for the UK economy – that’s half the budget of the NHS. How does BT and EE coming together benefit business customers? The EE mobile network provides unparalleled coverage and flexibility for our business customers. It’s been independently rated the best in the UK for more than a decade. We know that our customers want to be seamlessly connected in all corners of the country, and that seamless connectivity requires the combination of fixed and mobile solutions that BT can offer. The network has the best quality coverage – we’re extremely proud of that achievement. But it’s not just about the network. Devices are also an important part of the ecosystem and there is a range of solutions we can put on top of that mobile network to add value for people and help businesses achieve their desired outcomes.

Standing tall The BT Tower, originally called the Post Office Tower, was completed in 1964

BT has championed sustainability for more than 30 years, setting its first environmental targets in the 1990s. It remains a leader in net zero, consistently rated highly by bodies such as EcoVadis and CDP. “We were one of the first to set science-based targets,” says Sarwar Khan, BT’s sustainability director. “We’ve been rated ‘A’ by CDP – the gold standard for emissions disclosure – for eight years and continue to make strong progress.” In 2022, BT accelerated its targets, aiming for net zero by 2031 for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and by 2041 for Scope 3. “Businesses face growing regulatory pressures and want to de-risk their supply chains. Alongside cutting our own emissions, we’re helping customers and suppliers reduce theirs,” says Khan. When it comes to mobile, BT promotes refurbished devices as a low-carbon, cost-effective choice, with a trade-in scheme that recycles old mobiles for discounts on new ones – proving sustainability and growth can go hand in hand. BT’s Sustainability for Small Business Programme, launched in May 2024, offers SMEs a six-week course on circular economy, financial planning and social media. “Businesses need to dig into their carbon footprints using tools like our Digital Carbon Calculator,” says Khan. “Find the emissions, tackle the low-hanging fruit and make informed decisions.” In a world where companies increasingly rely on the ability to work seamlessly on mobile devices, choosing the right provider can be the difference between success and failure. “There are so many capabilities that come on to mobile devices,” adds Sally Fuller. “And every business – and every role within that business – will be slightly different in how it will harness them.”

Telecoms giant is net zero hero

1846

WORLD’S FIRST NATIONWIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK The Electric Telegraph Company is formed by Sir William Fothergill Cooke, George Parker Bidder and Joseph Lewis Ricardo, the first of a wave of private telegraph companies launched as the new technology spreads through the UK.

1896

TELEGRAPHY WITHOUT WIRES A demonstration by radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi on the site of what later became BT Centre shows the possibility of making calls without a wire, thus anticipating the mobile revolution that would take hold a century later.

1926

FIRST TRANSATLANTIC CALL The world’s first two-way telephone conversation between Britain and America takes place by radio, facilitated by the organisation that became BT. A commercial radio telephone service across the Atlantic opens the following year.

1984

PRIVATISATION BEGINS After years of debate in parliament, BT shares are sold to the public and the company lists on the London Stock Exchange. Further share sales in 1991 and 1993 virtually complete the process of privatisation.

2016

ADDING THE POWER OF EE In a move that shakes up the industry, BT buys EE for £12.5 billion. EE has been ranked the number one mobile network for overall performance, data, speed and reliability for 11 years running and opens new possibilities for mobility in business.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BT

THE HUMAN FACTOR

To get the most from mobile technology in business, we can’t ignore the impact on the user, says BT’s Sally Fuller

How does it feel to be part of an iconic British brand, and how has BT’s focus shifted during your time at the company? It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that drives such positive change for the UK – something embedded in our culture. BT has a rich history. Its legacy is about the network and the innovations we have pioneered, such as early telephony – stringing copper between destinations. We built the copper networks but now it’s more about cutting-edge technologies like 5G and quantum communications. For example, BT ranks first of all British companies owning AI patents in Europe. While our legacy is the network we have built, the future is about how we use that network as a trusted connector of people, business and society. We’ve supported millions of customers over the years, but we’ve also moved with the times and are now better equipped than any other network to support the businesses of the future, and ultimately economic growth across the country. I was with Orange/EE from 1999 and I’ve worked for BT since the acquisition in 2016. In that time, the services have evolved and the core focus is now on delivering a robust digital backbone for the UK. These days a lot of our smaller customers are running their businesses entirely on their mobiles. That’s not just calling customers, they’re using apps to manage things like accounting and tax submissions – things that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. We see the same spirit at the bigger firms, where it’s about enabling large teams to do their jobs safely and effectively. BT has always been a company that connects people, and that hasn’t changed. What role does BT play in supporting the digital economy and helping businesses embrace the opportunities it presents? As an infrastructure provider, BT has a dual role – delivering a reliable, future-proof network and showing customers the possibilities that digital technology presents. With the network in the best possible shape, the exciting thing for me is actually the next step, which is about education. At the end of the day, all the fibre in the ground and all the radio waves don’t count for much if customers can’t use that capability to solve their business problems and help create growth. So we’re focused on educating customers on how to better utilise digital solutions – whether that’s small businesses using mobile apps or larger organisations adopting new ways of working. And the opportunity for the UK is huge. Just a 1 per cent improvement in productivity across smaller businesses, for example, could generate nearly £100 billion for the UK economy – that’s half the budget of the NHS. How does BT and EE coming together benefit business customers? The EE mobile network provides unparalleled coverage and flexibility for our business customers. It’s been independently rated the best in the UK for more than a decade. We know that our customers want to be seamlessly connected in all corners of the country, and that seamless connectivity requires the combination of fixed and mobile solutions that BT can offer. The network has the best quality coverage - we’re extremely proud of that achievement. But it’s not just about the network. Devices are also an important part of the ecosystem and there is a range of solutions we can put on top of that mobile network to add value for people.

FROM LEGACY TO LEG-UP

BT’s chief commercial officer for UK business Chris Sims talks heritage, mentoring and how a 1% increase in productivity can lead to nearly £100bn in growth for the UK

VIDEO: PAST & FUTURE

Discover the impact of BT on British lifein the Times archives

Telecoms giant is net zero hero

As well as cutting its own emissions, BT helps other firms to do the same

How BT is supportingbusinesses to improveproductivity and thrive

FROM LEGACY TO LEG-UP

Technology bringsgreat possibilities – but people must come first

THE HUMAN FACTOR

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BT BY NUMBERS

1846

BT Group is the world’s oldest telecommunications company. It can be traced back to the Electric Telegraph Company. Founded almost 180 years ago, the ETC developed the first nationwide telecoms network

BT BY NUMBERS

EE has been ranked the No 1 network in the UK for overall data, speed and reliability for more than 11 years

BT BY NUMBERS

2031

The year BT will be a net zero business

BT BY NUMBERS

999

BT has been trusted to handle emergency calls for over 85 years

BT BY NUMBERS

99.8

per cent of the UK population is covered by 4G; 80 per cent by 5G

BT BY NUMBERS

17m

Number of UK premises reached by BT’s full fibre coverage. The total is set to be 25m by the end of 2026

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To get the most from mobile technology in business, we can’t ignore the impact on the user, says BT’s Sally Fuller

“I see mobile in two ways,” says Sally Fuller, director of business mobile at BT. “Firstly, what can it do for an organisation? Does it help firms stay securely connected, increase productivity and harness innovation? And is it sustainable and affordable? “Secondly, what’s the human experience of using that device? Is it simple, straightforward, safe and empowering? Mobile is far more significant than ever before and should be at the heart of every conversation for decision makers.” An evangelist for its power, Fuller wants to change the mindset of business owners who just see mobile operations as another line on the expense account. But if it’s to be an increasingly important tool for productivity, we need to learn lessons from the digital past. “When I first worked on the internet, I was so excited and naive,” she explains. “I thought it was going to be the great enabler of humanity. We’d have access to knowledge and information with beautifully curated, moderated conversations to get facts out. We can’t think about the rise of mobile in business without the impact on the human in the conversation.” Fuller is optimistic that, thanks to powerful in-device AI, this next era of innovation will free us of the mundane, time-absorbing distractions of endless swiping and instead help unleash our creativity and curiosity. “Mobile is a platform, and if you can get the right device on the right network with the right commercials and the right security, you can unleash a huge amount of opportunity,” she says. “It can help workers stay safer, be more productive, assist conversations, translate and record. So many different tasks – and AI will assist in it all.” Barely a day passes without the emergence of AI capturing news headlines, including sending shockwaves through Silicon Valley. It has already led us to the cusp of a new era, says Fuller. “I hope it takes the grunt out of everything,” she says. “Instead of scrolling through different screens to work out what train I’m getting or the address of the next customer I’m visiting, an AI assistant will pull it together to say: ‘This is your day ahead and this is everything you need to get through it.’ “Anything that is a waste of human creativity and capital, like searching for stuff, we’ll be released from,” continues Fuller. “And that extra time can be spent doing our job better or caring for ourselves and others.” For companies looking to justify spending on mobile, it isn’t just that purchasing cheap devices on cheap networks might hamstring productivity, it’s also about protecting against security risks. BT research estimates there are 2,000 signals of a potential cyberattack across its networks per second – that’s over 200 million threats every day. “We have to get tough on security,” says Fuller. “It must be top of the agenda because our concerns are now less about a disgruntled student hacker and more about machine or state-level attacks. It demands an industrial scale security design.” One fear is that if businesses do not provide the right mobile capability, staff will take matters into their own hands to make work life more efficient. Mobile solutions need to be end-to-end and easy to troubleshoot. If staff begin to use their own devices or seek software from elsewhere, there will be more problems and security risks. While they can be educated to avoid unnecessary dangers, the “shadow AI” risk of personal devices sharing company information unwittingly is all too real. “The organisation might think it can’t afford to have the latest device with built-in AI to summarise, transcribe or translate,” says Fuller. “Instead, the worker buys a cheap device online, for example. But it’s being used completely outside the business’s control without knowledge of where that data is ending up. How do you manage the diversity of all these devices? There is no supply chain integrity. “You might be able to overlay secure management tools to ensure corporate data and infrastructure are protected and legally compliant, but operationally a culture of bring-your-own-device is much harder to manage. So, in the conversation about risk, there needs to be discussion about the affordability of devices, whether new, recycled or refurbished, to stop firms from going down this path.” While office staff might be frustrated by sub-par equipment, for fieldworkers on the front line, inadequate mobile support can be a far more serious problem, even life-threatening. “The obligations on organisations to keep workers safe in any situation are far-reaching,” Fuller says. “A social worker, police officer, delivery driver

How does it feel to be part of an iconic British brand, and how has BT’s focus shifted during your time at the company? It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that drives such positive change for the UK – something embedded in our culture. BT has a rich history. Its legacy is about the network and the innovations we have pioneered, such as early telephony – stringing copper between destinations. We built the copper networks but now it’s more about cutting-edge technologies like 5G and quantum communications. For example, BT ranks first of all British companies owning AI patents in Europe. While our legacy is the network we have built, the future is about how we use that network as a trusted connector of people, business and society. We’ve supported millions of customers over the years, but we’ve also moved with the times and are now better equipped than any other network to support the businesses of the future, and ultimately economic growth across the country. I was with Orange/EE from 1999 and I’ve worked for BT since the acquisition in 2016. In that time, the services have evolved and the core focus is now on delivering a robust digital backbone for the UK. These days a lot of our smaller customers are running their businesses entirely on their mobiles. That’s not just calling customers, they’re using apps to manage things like accounting and tax submissions – things that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. We see the same spirit at the bigger firms, where it’s about enabling large teams to do their jobs safely and effectively. BT has always been a company that connects people, and that hasn’t changed. What role does BT play in supporting the digital economy and helping businesses embrace the opportunities it presents? As an infrastructure provider, BT has a dual role – delivering a reliable, future-proof network and showing customers the possibilities that digital technology presents. With the network in the best possible shape, the exciting thing for me is actually the next step, which is about education. At the end of the day, all the fibre in the ground and all the radio waves don’t count for much if customers can’t use that capability to solve their business problems and help create growth. So we’re focused on educating customers on how to better utilise digital solutions – whether that’s small businesses using mobile apps or larger organisations adopting new ways of working. And the opportunity for the UK is huge. Just a 1 per cent improvement in productivity across smaller businesses, for example, could generate nearly £100 billion for the UK economy – that’s half the budget of the NHS. How does BT and EE coming together benefit business customers? The EE mobile network provides unparalleled coverage and flexibility for our business customers. It’s been independently rated the best in the UK for more than a decade. We know that our customers want to be seamlessly connected in all corners of the country, and that seamless connectivity requires the combination of fixed and mobile solutions that BT can offer. The network has the best quality coverage - we’re extremely proud of that achievement. But it’s not just about the network. Devices are also an important part of the ecosystem and there is a range of solutions we can put on top of that mobile network to add value for people.

FROM LEGACY TO LEG-UP

BT’s chief commercial officer for UK business Chris Sims talks heritage, mentoring and how a 1% increase in productivity can lead to nearly £100bn in growth for the UK

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BT’s chief commercial officer for UK business, Chris Sims, talks heritage, future-proofing business and how a 1% increase in productivity can lead to nearly £100bn in growth for the UK

With AI and e-waste posing growing environmental challenges, BT is focused on cutting emissions, supporting businesses to do the same and fostering a low-carbon circular economy

BT BY NUMBERS

EE has been ranked the No 1 network in the UK for overall data, speed and reliability for more than 11 years

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