Telecoms giant BT has slowed customer losses as it sees competition in the broadband market stabilise.
The group revealed it shed 210,000 broadband customers in the last three months of 2025, which was less than feared in the market, with analysts having predicted it would lose more than 230,000 customers.
BT said it was now projecting the loss of 850,000 Openreach fixed-line broadband customers for the full year, down from a previous 900,000 estimate.
It also revealed that demand for full-fibre coverage jumped, as it added 571,000 new customers for the quarter.
Openreach has been hit by customer losses in recent years as low-priced competitors – so-called retail altnets – have entered the fray, such as CityFibre.
But chief executive Allison Kirkby told the Press Association this was now abating as it increases its full-fibre coverage.
She said: “We’re building further and faster across the country than anybody else, because we’re getting into the areas where we didn’t previously have fibre.
“Now we have two-thirds of the country on fibre and we’re seeing reduced competition, so the consumer demand is there.”
The telecoms giant reported that revenues fell by 4% to £5 billion in the quarter to December 31 due to service revenue declines.
It was also impacted by lower equipment revenues, largely linked to weakness in handsets, and divestments.
Adjusted UK service revenues fell by 2% to £3.8 billion for the quarter.
Meanwhile, pre-tax profits fell to £183 million for the quarter, compared with £427 million a year earlier, after being hit by £214 million of losses related to its sports joint venture behind TNT Sports.
It runs the joint venture alongside US media giant Warner Bros Discovery, which has been at the centre of a bidding war between rivals Netflix and Paramount Skydance.
BT stressed it was still on track to meet its financial guidance for the current year.
Ms Kirkby said: “BT continues to deliver on its strategy – building and connecting the UK to the best next-generation networks at record pace, while accelerating our transformation.
“Our network leadership strengthened further in the quarter, with full-fibre broadband now reaching more than 21 million homes and businesses, and our 5G+ network accessible to 69% of the population.
“Openreach achieved record full-fibre connections and our consumer division again added customers in broadband, mobile and TV.”
