Editing BT Group (section)

== Operations ==
[[File:Adastral Park.jpg|thumb|The [[Adastral Park]] campus at [[Martlesham Heath]] in Suffolk, the principal site of [[BT Research]]]]
BT Group is a [[holding company]]; the majority of its businesses and assets are held by its wholly owned subsidiary British Telecommunications plc.<ref name="Groupbusinesses">{{cite web|url=http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Ourcompany/Groupbusinesses/index.htm|title=Group businesses|access-date=20 December 2014|publisher=BT Group plc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202040853/http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Ourcompany/Groupbusinesses/index.htm|archive-date=2 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> BT's businesses are operated under special government regulation by the British telecoms regulator [[Ofcom]] (formerly [[Oftel]]). BT has been found to have significant market power in some markets following market reviews by Ofcom. In these markets, BT is required to comply with additional obligations such as meeting reasonable requests to supply services and not to discriminate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-008-0759?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)|title=Significant market power in the UK electronic communications networks and services sector|publisher= Practical Law Competition|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref>

BT runs the [[telephone exchange]]s, trunk network and [[local loop]] connections for the vast majority of British fixed-line telephones. Apart from [[KCOM Group]], which serves Kingston upon Hull, BT is the only UK telecoms operator to have a [[universal service]] obligation which means it must provide a fixed telephone line to any address in the UK, at a uniform price throughout the country. This requirement was introduced by the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003,<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2003 |title=The Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1904/made |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> which also covers provision of directories, a directory enquiry service, and public call boxes. Legislation in 2018 added a minimum standard of fixed broadband service, subject to a cap on the cost of provision, which Ofcom implemented as a set of conditions applying to BT and KCOM in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-17 |title=Universal service obligations (broadband and telephony) |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/telecoms-infrastructure/universal-service-obligation/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=Ofcom |language=en}}</ref> Reduced usage of public phone boxes led Ofcom to vary the conditions relating to them in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Mark |date=2022-06-08 |title=Ofcom Moves to Protect Essential UK BT and KCOM Phone Boxes |url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/06/ofcom-moves-to-protect-essential-uk-bt-and-kcom-phone-boxes.html |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=ISPreview UK |language=en}}</ref>

As well as continuing to provide service in those traditional areas in which BT has an obligation to provide services or is closely regulated, BT has expanded into more profitable products and services where there is less regulation. These are, principally, broadband internet service and [[bespoke]] solutions in telecommunications and information technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8146|title=A Universal Service Obligation (USO) for Broadband|publisher=UK Parliament|date=22 December 2017|access-date=2 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302225336/http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8146|archive-date=2 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Branding ===
[[File:BT logo 2019.svg|thumb|Simplified BT logo, used since 2019 for non-corporate purposes]]
In 2019, a simplified BT logo and brand was launched to replace the previous multi-coloured globe logo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-16 |title=BT unveils new logo after years of work – its name in a circle |url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/16/bt-unveils-new-logo-to-match-transformation-to-national-champion |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dawood |first=Sarah |date=2019-06-24 |title=BT Group rebrands to show it's not just about telecoms |url=https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/24-30-june-2019/bt-group-rebrands/ |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=Design Week |language=en-UK}}</ref> In April 2022, BT announced its intentions to focus on the [[EE (telecommunications)|EE]] brand for consumer products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consumer: sharpening our focus to create a better business |url=https://newsroom.bt.com/consumer-sharpening-our-focus-to-create-a-better-business/ |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=Consumer: sharpening our focus to create a better business |language=en}}</ref>