Where weve come from

Telecommunications in Britain began in the early nineteenth century, with the first commercial telegraph service. As the early technology evolved, different companies emerged, amalgamated or collapsed. The survivors were eventually brought under state control as part of the Post Office, and then fully nationalised in 1969.

In the late seventies, British Telecom was born – first to give the telecoms arm of the Post Office a separate identity in the eyes of the public, and then in 1981, as a distinct public corporation in its own right.

In 1984, privatisation and new legislation brought both fresh competition and new freedoms. New players could suddenly compete on even terms. By the same token, British Telecom was free to enter into new joint ventures, manufacture its own equipment and expand globally.

In the next few years, British Telecom began to evolve into a leaner, more responsive and more competitive organisation. New technologies emerged, the playing-field became more level, and new players entered the fray.

In the early nineties, the company re-organised around a new commercial framework and customer-focus, geared to meet the challenge of the times. To reflect this new, streamlined ethos, British Telecom was renamed BT.

In 2000, the company was devolved into distinct business areas, and the current structure of BT began to take shape. Today, the holding company BT Group plc presides over four separately managed businesses; BT Retail, BT Wholesale, BT Global Services, and Openreach. Each is supported by BT’s R&D and technology operations arms – BT Design and BT Operate.

Each part of BT has the freedom to focus on its own markets and customers. By understanding its customers better, each can move quickly to seize new opportunities.