Trading update for the quarter and
nine months to 31 December 2024
BT Group plc - 30 January
2025
Allison Kirkby, Chief Executive, commenting on the results,
said
"Our ongoing modernisation continues
at pace, delivering a further step-up in fibre build and take-up,
customer satisfaction and EBITDA. Benefits from our cost
transformation more than offset lower revenue outside the UK and
weak handset sales.
"Openreach again performed strongly
with the highest ever full fibre build, passing more than 1 million
premises for the fourth consecutive quarter, and connecting a new
record of nearly half a million customers. Consumer returned to
service revenue growth and continued to expand its full fibre and
5G customer bases. In Business, our core UK channels were stable.
Cost transformation remains firmly on track, with excellent
progress on both energy costs and productivity in the
quarter.
"We continue to make progress
towards becoming fully focused on the UK, with the sale of our data
centre business in Ireland. I am also very pleased to welcome Jon
James to BT's Executive Committee as the new CEO of a UK-centric BT
Business, effective early March. This appointment enables Bas
Burger to dedicate his time to the optimisation of our
international business segment, which is progressing to
plan.
"BT's continued delivery means we
remain on track to deliver our financial outlook for this year and
our cash flow inflection to c.£2.0bn in 2027 and c£3.0bn by the end
of the decade."
|
Continued progress on strategic priorities:
• Record FTTP build rate of over 1m
premises passed in the quarter for a fourth consecutive quarter;
FTTP footprint reached 17m
premises, more than half of the UK; on track to pass 4.2m in FY25
and reach 25m by December 2026
• Record customer demand for Openreach
FTTP with net adds of 472k in the quarter; total premises
connected 6.0m with a growing take up rate of over 35%. Openreach
total broadband lines fell by 208k, as we continue to see
moderately higher competitor losses with a weaker overall broadband
and new homes market; over 80% of our line losses occur where we
have not built FTTP
• Openreach broadband ARPU in the quarter
grew year on year by 6% to £16.1, ahead of the CPI price increases,
driven by a greater FTTP take-up and speed mix
• Retail FTTP base grew by 33% year on
year to 3.2m of which Consumer 3.0m and Business 0.2m
• Consumer service revenue returned to
growth, up 0.4% year on year after a 1.3% decline in H1; service
revenue growth was more than offset by a 12% decline in equipment
revenue, mainly handset trading
• Consumer customer base relatively
stable with broadband base down 40k quarter on quarter (0.5%
decline); postpaid mobile base down 4k quarter on quarter (<0.1%
decline)
• Consumer broadband ARPU down 1.2% year
on year to £40.6; Consumer
postpaid mobile ARPU up 5.7% year on year to
£20.3
• Consumer fixed and mobile convergence
grew in the quarter from 23.1% to 23.4%; 5G standalone launched in a further 16
new locations, bringing 5G standalone to over 30 major UK towns and
cities; EE was named the winner of the umlaut connect 2025 Mobile
Network Test in the UK for a 10th consecutive year
• Business revenues were stable in our
core UK channels; £1.3bn contract signed with the Home Office to
continue providing mobile services for the Emergency Services
Network over the next seven years
• Cost transformation remains on track as
we continue to create a simpler BT Group, delivering efficiencies
across all units; energy usage in our networks was down 3% in the
year-to-date and total labour resource down 3% year-on-year to
117k; we achieved an 11% reduction in year-to-date Openreach repair
volumes
• BT Group NPS of 29.6, up 4.0pts during
Q3, reflecting ongoing improvements in customer
experience
Excellent cost control continues to deliver EBITDA
growth:
• Q3 Adjusted1 revenue £5.2bn,
down 3% year-on-year mainly due to continued challenging non-UK
trading conditions in our Global and Portfolio channels and weaker
handset trading in Consumer, offsetting the impact of FTTP growth
in Openreach and price increases. Reported revenue £5.2bn, down
3%
• Q3 Adjusted1 EBITDA £2.1bn,
up 4% driven by strong cost transformation and one-off other
operating income in the low tens of millions which more than offset
adverse revenue
• Q3 Reported profit before tax of £427m,
up 1% primarily due to EBITDA growth, offset partially by increased
net finance costs and increased depreciation and
amortisation
• Reconfirming our FY25 financial outlook and
our mid-term guidance
1
See
Glossary on page 2
|
Adjusted1
revenue
|
Adjusted1
EBITDA
|
Third quarter to 31 December 2024
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
Consumer
|
2,498
|
2,560
|
(2)
|
655
|
661
|
(1)
|
Business2
|
1,984
|
2,027
|
(2)
|
409
|
403
|
1
|
Openreach
|
1,533
|
1,521
|
1
|
1,028
|
967
|
6
|
Other
|
5
|
4
|
n/m
|
11
|
(3)
|
n/m
|
Intra-group
items2
|
(837)
|
(768)
|
(9)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
5,183
|
5,344
|
(3)
|
2,103
|
2,028
|
4
|
|
Adjusted1
revenue
|
Adjusted1
EBITDA
|
Nine months to 31 December 2024
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
Consumer
|
7,334
|
7,463
|
(2)
|
1,985
|
2,008
|
(1)
|
Business2
|
5,849
|
6,127
|
(5)
|
1,156
|
1,209
|
(4)
|
Openreach
|
4,651
|
4,574
|
2
|
3,087
|
2,903
|
6
|
Other
|
10
|
12
|
n/m
|
7
|
2
|
n/m
|
Intra-group
items2
|
(2,523)
|
(2,418)
|
(4)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
15,321
|
15,758
|
(3)
|
6,235
|
6,122
|
2
|
1 See Glossary below
2 As disclosed in the prior year, Q3 FY24 results included a
correction of H1 FY24 revenue across Openreach and Business, with
no impact on total group revenue. £38m external wholesale revenue
was incorrectly recognised by Business in H1 FY24. H1 FY24 results
were not restated; the correction was booked within Q3 FY24 to
ensure the results for the nine months to 31 December 2023 were
correctly stated. Excluding the adjustment, Q3 Business revenue
would have declined 4%, while intra-group items would have
increased 4%.
n/m: comparison not
meaningful
About BT Group
BT Group is the UK's leading
provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure
digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed
telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure
services to customers across 180 countries.
BT Group consists of three
customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in
the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and
internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly
owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services
to its customers - over 700 communications providers across the
UK.
British Telecommunications plc is a
wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually
all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed
on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit
www.bt.com/about
Registered in England and Wales no.
4190816
Enquiries
Press office:
|
Richard Farnsworth
Alex Buckley
|
Tel: 07734 776 317
Tel: 07501 236 297
|
Investor relations:
|
Nick Delfas
|
Tel: 0800 389 4909
|
We are scheduled to announce the
fourth quarter and full year results for FY25 on 22 May
2025.
Forward-looking statements - caution
advised
Certain information included in this
announcement is forward looking and involves risks, assumptions and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements.
Forward looking statements cover all matters which are not
historical facts and include, without limitation, projections
relating to results of operations and financial conditions and the
Company's plans and objectives for future operations. Forward
looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking
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'projects', 'goal', 'target', 'aim', 'may', 'will', 'would',
'could' or 'should' or, in each case, their negative or other
variations or comparable terminology. Forward looking statements in
this announcement are not guarantees of future performance. All
forward looking statements in this announcement are based upon
information known to the Company on the date of this announcement.
Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any particular
expectation will be met and readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on forward looking statements, which speak only at
their respective dates. Additionally, forward looking statements
regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a
representation that such trends or activities will continue in the
future. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory
obligations (including under the UK Listing Rules and the
Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct
Authority), the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update
or revise any forward looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. Nothing in this
announcement shall exclude any liability under applicable laws that
cannot be excluded in accordance with such laws.