This month at BT Group: April 2026

From building secure foundations for the UK’s sovereign AI future to tackling everyday frustrations on the sofa, April has been about making complex technology work simply, safely and at scale.

Across the business, April has seen meaningful progress: advancing sovereign connectivity and AI capability for the UK, continuing to strengthen the nation’s networks through 5G+ innovation, stepping up protection against the growing threat of digital fraud, and focusing on the moments that matter most to customers - from switching landlines to finally finding something to watch on TV.

Here are the highlights from across the Group.

High-speed reads

• EE research reveals the TV viewing and sofa habits that bring us together and drive us apart
• BT to work with Nscale to accelerate UK sovereign AI capability, powered by NVIDIA
• BT becomes first UK provider to offer full suite of sovereign services – as research unveils £18bn sovereign AI opportunity for UK
• New research from EE TV reveals the Great British 'Doombrowsing' epidemic - with the average Brit spending over 28 hours a year deciding what to watch on TV
• EE delivers big boost to UK connectivity with 5G+ network innovations
• EE unveils all-new Scam Guard service, including AI Triple-Lock protection to defend millions of Brits against all-time high levels of fraud
• BT joins forces with Clare Balding to launch the “Don’t Put Off the Switch” campaign ahead of the nationwide digital landline switchover

In depth

Building the Infrastructure for a Sovereign Future

BT Business has reached a landmark milestone, becoming the first provider in the UK to offer a full, end-to-end suite of sovereign services. By combining sovereign connectivity, voice, and cloud with a brand-new AI capability, we are empowering organisations to modernise critical services with total confidence.

Why it matters: unlocking an £18bn opportunity

The launch comes as new research from Assembly Research reveals the staggering potential of digital sovereignty. By providing the security and control needed for faster AI adoption, digital sovereignty could unlock an estimated £18 billion in productivity benefits for the UK economy. Furthermore, accelerated investment in UK-based data centres could generate £14.6 billion by 2030.

Partnering for Power: BT, Nscale, and NVIDIA

To turn this potential into reality, BT is working with Nscale to deliver sovereign AI data centres across the UK. The collaboration uses NVIDIA ’s full‑stack AI infrastructure, with plans to build up to 14 megawatts of capacity across three strategic BT sites.

"Digital sovereignty enables UK organisations to adopt the world’s leading technologies, while maintaining resilience and control in a rapidly changing world." — Jon James CEO, BT Business

BT joins forces with Clare Balding for 'Don't Put Off the Switch'

We’ve teamed up with legendary broadcaster Clare Balding to launch the “Don’t Put Off the Switch” campaign, encouraging the remaining analogue landline customers to transition to Digital Voice ahead of the January 2027 industry deadline. With research showing that 63% of UK adults admit to delaying essential tasks, we are urging customers to act when contacted to avoid service disruption.

To ensure a smooth transition, we are providing enhanced support, including free engineer visits for those who need extra help and digital skills training through our partnership with AbilityNet .

Updates from around the business

EE delivers big boost to UK connectivity with 5G+ network innovations

We are investing £40 billion into the UK’s networks this decade to strengthen the digital foundations people and businesses rely on every day. That investment is already delivering results: our 5G+ (5G Standalone) network now reaches more than 50 million people across 610 towns and cities, far exceeding our original Spring 2026 targets.

To further enhance performance, we have reallocated spectrum across 4,000 mobile sites and become the first UK operator to deploy five-carrier aggregation, delivering download speeds that are roughly 10% faster on average.

We are also rolling out Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) technology, boosting network performance by up to 20% in major cities like London without the need for additional masts.

EE unveils all-new Scam Guard with AI Triple-Lock protection

With fraud reaching record highs, we’ve launched an upgraded Scam Guard service featuring AI Triple-Lock Protection. This new system uses three layers of AI defense, Safe Email, Safe SMS, and Safe Web, to proactively scan and block threats in real time. The service also introduces Scam Assistant, allowing customers to upload screenshots of suspicious messages or QR codes for instant AI analysis.

Since its original 2024 launch, Scam Guard has already stopped more than 169 million scam attempts, and we expect this new enhanced version to double that impact over the next year. It’s a powerful new layer of security designed to defend millions of customers against the growing sophistication of AI-powered fraud.

Allison Kirkby joins the Business Leader podcast

Our CEO recently joined the Business Leader podcast with Sir Richard Harpin to discuss her journey as our CEO. Allison Kirkby shared insights on a wide range of topics, from her early experiences and the importance of a straight-talking culture to the significance of leading BT as a pillar of the UK’s digital economy.

The candid conversation also touched on the realities of leading transformation at scale and her vision for returning the company to growth by focusing on core connectivity.

Watch the full video on Business Leader 's YouTube channel - From Working Class Glasgow To Running BT

In other news

EE TV launches Smart Search to combat the growing 'Doombrowsing' trend

New research from EE TV has uncovered a growing 'Doombrowsing' trend, revealing that the average Brit spends over 28 hours a year simply deciding what to watch. With 54% of viewers admitting they spend longer browsing than actually watching, we’ve launched Smart Search - the UK’s first conversational, AI-powered TV search tool.

By allowing customers to search using natural language, like describing a mood or a plot, and offering tailored recommendations through Mood Matcher, we’re helping the nation spend less time scrolling and more time enjoying the entertainment they love.