BT loses broadband customers to rivals and sheds another 5,000 jobs

BT has said it lost a wave of broadband customers over recent months to rivals amid a “competitive” market, and revealed another 5,000 jobs have gone under its cost-cutting overhaul.

The telecoms giant said its Openreach broadband customers fell by 242,000 over the second quarter of 2025.

This was driven by losses to competitors and a weaker broadband market, the firm told investors.

Meanwhile, the company has been steaming ahead with a major turnaround plan that involves heavily cutting costs and sharpening its focus on its UK market and newer business lines.

It said its total workforce was cut by 6% in the first half of the year, to 111,000 people.

This is down about 5,000 from 116,000 at the start of the financial year.

The job reductions form part of nearly £250m worth of annual cost savings made over the period, bringing the total to £1.2bn over the first 18 months of its cost-cutting programme.

It is hoping to make savings worth £3bn a year overall.

Group revenues declined by 3% to £9.8bn over the six months to September 30, compared with the prior year.

This was driven by declines in its legacy landline service as well as a weaker mobile phone market amid more people holding onto their current device.

Its pre-tax profit slid by 11% year on year to £862m.

Chief executive Allison Kirkby said: “BT is delivering on its strategy in competitive markets.

“Since the start of the year, we’ve driven customer growth across consumer broadband, mobile and TV and we’re stabilising our UK-focused business division.

“Outside the UK, we’ve completed strategic exits and we’re reshaping our international unit.

“BT’s transformation is delivering ahead of plan, as our UK focus and radical simplification and modernisation are helping to offset declines from our international and legacy businesses and higher labour-related costs since the start of this tax year.”