Telecoms giant BT has reported a significant slowdown in customer losses, signalling a potential stabilisation within the fiercely competitive broadband market.
The group revealed it shed 210,000 broadband customers during the final three months of 2025.
This figure proved less severe than market expectations, which had predicted losses exceeding 230,000.
Consequently, BT has adjusted its full-year projection for Openreach fixed-line broadband customer losses downwards, now forecasting 850,000, an improvement from its earlier estimate of 900,000.
Simultaneously, the company experienced a notable surge in demand for full-fibre coverage, successfully adding 571,000 new customers in the quarter.
Openreach has contended with customer attrition in recent years, largely due to the rise of low-priced competitors, often termed “retail altnets,” including providers like CityFibre.
However, chief executive Allison Kirkby informed the Press Association that this competitive pressure is now “abating” as BT continues to expand its full-fibre infrastructure across the country.
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 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent of the population.
“Openreach achieved record full-fibre connections and our consumer division again added customers in broadband, mobile and TV.”
