Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

BT set to slash up to 55,000 Jobs by 2030 amid fibre and AI advancements

In a similar move, BT’s competitor Vodafone also revealed plans to cut 11,000 jobs globally to regain its competitive position

BT set to slash up to 55,000 Jobs by 2030 amid fibre and AI advancements

BT Group, the largest broadband and mobile provider in Britain, has announced plans to cut up to 55,000 jobs, including contractors, by 2030. This reduction potentially represents over 40% of its workforce as the company finalizes its fibre roll-out and adjusts to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Under the leadership of CEO Philip Jansen, BT has been implementing a transformation plan aimed at establishing a national fibre network and launching high-speed 5G mobile services.


Despite reporting pro forma revenue and core earnings growth for the first time in six years, the costs associated with business transformation and the impact on free cash flow have negatively impacted the company's shares, resulting in a 7% decline in morning trade.

Jansen outlined that once the fibre roll-out is complete, and the company digitises its operations, adopts AI, and streamlines its structure, BT will rely on a significantly smaller workforce and achieve a substantially reduced cost base by the end of the 2020s.

"New BT Group will be a leaner business with a brighter future," he said.

BT Group has announced plans to reduce its workforce from 130,000 to between 75,000 and 90,000 by its 2030 financial year.

Out of the current employees, approximately 30,000 are contractors. The company anticipates that the job cuts will accelerate as it finalises its fibre build and discontinues 3G services.

Jansen said the reduction in jobs will be a rolling programme, spanning a period of five to seven years. The changes are expected to align with a "landing zone" by the specified timeframe.

In a similar move, BT's competitor Vodafone also revealed plans to cut 11,000 jobs globally to regain its competitive position.

Jansen explained that advancements in technology would lead to a decrease in the demand for network engineers, with approximately 10,000 fewer professionals required to manage digital networks.

Additionally, automation and AI are expected to replace another 10,000 positions.

According to Jansen, there are significant possibilities to leverage AI, and he described generative AI large language models as a groundbreaking advancement comparable to the advent of smartphones. He expressed BT's intention to utilise AI to enhance customer service, prioritising customer requirements, and to capitalise on other potential business prospects.

"We're not going to be in a situation where people feel like they're dealing with a robot," he said. ""We've got multichannel, we're online, we have got 450 stores, that's not planning on changing."

Cashflow Invested

Jansen, acknowledged that the company had made commendable strides in its full-year results, particularly considering the challenging macro-economic environment. Meeting market predictions, BT reported a 5% increase in adjusted core earnings, reaching £7.9 billion ($10 billion).

This growth was attributed to positive performance in networks and consumer businesses, which offset a decline in the enterprise segment.

However, BT experienced a 5% decrease in free cash flow (FCF), amounting to £1.3 billion, which fell at the lower end of its guidance. This decline can be attributed to higher cash capital expenditure.

Furthermore, the projected free cash flow for 2024 was below analysts' expectations, indicating a more conservative outlook for the company's cash flow generation in the coming years.

Simon Lowth, the Chief Financial Officer of BT, announced that the company intends to allocate the funds generated from the British government's new tax expensing to support its network expansion and facilitate customer connectivity through fibre.

As a result, the projected free cash flow for the year is estimated to be between £1.0 billion and £1.2 billion, which falls below market expectations of £1.22 billion.

BT's networks division, Openreach, has reaffirmed its commitment to connecting 25 million premises with ultra-fast full-fibre connections by the end of 2026.

The company has been making substantial investments to accelerate the deployment of its fibre network, outpacing competitors like Virgin Media O2 and smaller alternative networks.

Furthermore, BT anticipates growth in both revenue and core earnings on a pro forma basis for the current year.

(Reuters)

More For You

JLR-Getty
A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jaguar Land Rover says no customer data stolen in cyber breach

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) said on Friday it is working "at pace" to resolve a cyber incident that has severely affected its retail and production activities. Factory staff have been told to stay at home until at least early next week.

The company disclosed the breach on Tuesday, the latest in a series of cyber and ransomware attacks against businesses globally. Companies such as Marks & Spencer and Co-op have also been hit by breaches in recent years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Co-op and Bestway strike new deal to back independent retailers

Dawood Pervez (L), managing director at Bestway Wholesale and Katie Secretan, managing director of Co-op Wholesale

Co-op and Bestway strike new deal to back independent retailers

A NEW partnership has been formed between Co-op Wholesale and Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) to support independent retailers across the UK.

Goes beyond the standard supply deal, it aims to bring the combined expertise and resources of both businesses together, helping local retailers compete in an increasingly tough convenience market, a statement said on Thursday (4).

Keep ReadingShow less
Nirmala Sitharaman

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure would be simplified from four slabs to two, with reductions across several sectors. (Photo: Getty Images)

India cuts consumption taxes, simplifies structure into two slabs

INDIA announced a major cut in consumption taxes on Wednesday, days after the United States imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods.

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure would be simplified from four slabs to two, with reductions across several sectors. In some cases, levies have been reduced by more than half.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jio Platforms

Jio Platforms includes India’s largest telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, with more than 500 million users. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Jio IPO planned for mid-2026, AI unit announced with Meta and Google

RELIANCE Industries plans to take its telecom and digital arm, Jio Platforms, public by mid-2026, chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Friday. The announcement sets a new timeline for the long-awaited IPO of a business analysts value at over $100 billion.

At its annual general meeting (AGM), Reliance also announced the launch of an artificial intelligence unit in partnership with Google and Meta.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asda tech overhaul

Asda sales fell 0.2 per cent in the three months to June 30, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Asda boss hails tech overhaul as key to revival despite sales slump

THE chairman of Asda has admitted the supermarket chain still faces challenges after sales slipped again over the summer, but said the completion of a major IT overhaul was crucial for its recovery.

Allan Leighton told the Times that the long-delayed technology project, called Project Future, had finally been finished after years of setbacks and costs exceeding £1 billion. The work involved separating more than 2,500 systems inherited from former owner Walmart, following Asda’s 2021 takeover by TDR Capital.

Keep ReadingShow less