BT cuts broadband cost

Telecoms giant BT has cut the price that rivals must pay to use its broadband cable network.

openreach, the phone firm’s infrastructure arm, has said it will reduce wholesale prices by 1.1pc from July, saving competitors such as Vodafone and sky around £10m.

Bosses said it was ‘a gesture of goodwill’. BT has long faced criticism for operating a monopoly, as it sells broadband but also – through openreach – owns the cables used by most other providers to deliver internet services.

They pay a fee to access this network and many say the cost is too high. BT has agreed to make the operation semi-independent with its own staff and directors.