BT Calls for U.K. Regulator to Include Pay-TV in Broadband Review

By Simon Zekaria

LONDON--BT Group PLC (BT.A.LN), the U.K. telecommunications incumbent, Thursday called on U.K. communications regulator Ofcom to widen its review of the U.K. broadband Internet sector to include pay-television services, citing high prices and lack of competition.

John Petter, chief executive of BT's consumer business, said while the U.K.'s broadband market showed rising speed and strong performance, the pay-TV market resulted in "bad outcomes" for consumers.

Mr. Petter also said the pay-TV market has "major barriers to entry for new players."

BT has spent billions of dollars in recent years developing its pay-TV service, including sports channels.

It is competing with operators like Sky PLC (SKY.LN) and Liberty Global PLC (LBTYA) for subscribers in the U.K.'s rapidly developing market for so-called quadruple-play bundled services of fixed telephony, mobile telephony, Internet broadband and TV.

-Write to Simon Zekaria at [e-mail]

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