Why Is BT Group Plc Up Today?

BT Group Plc (LSE:BT.A) shares rose 1.69% to 217.0p today, a gain of 3.6p. The telecommunications group remains in focus following half-year results to 30 September 2026, published on 5 November.

Revenue was £8.8 billion, up 1%, adjusted EBITDA was £4.1 billion, up 1%, and reported profit before tax rose 12% to £1.1 billion. The Interim Dividend was increased 2% to 2.50p.

About BT Group Plc

BT Group Plc is the UK's leading communications company. It provides fixed and mobile connectivity, broadband, TV and technology services to consumers, businesses and public sector customers. Its brands include BT, EE and Plusnet, and its Openreach division operates the UK's largest access network.

LSE:BT.A has a 0.46% weighting in the FTSE 100.

Openreach and Full Fibre

Openreach passed a further 1.2 million premises with full fibre in the half, bringing the total to 24.1 million. Premises connected reached 9.9 million, now more than half of the broadband base, and connections passed 10 million in October. Take-up stands at 41%.

The 25 million build target is now expected to be reached in March 2027. Full fibre gives customers faster, more reliable connections and supports services such as video, cloud applications and remote working.

Consumer Division

In Consumer, the full fibre base rose 574,000 to 4.7 million. Postpaid mobile customers increased by 86,000, and TV customers by 26,000. Postpaid mobile Revenue per user rose 3% to £19.8, and fixed-mobile convergence increased to 27.1% from 25.9%, showing that more households take both broadband and mobile from the group.

Business Division

The Business division grew its full fibre base by 40,000 to 0.4 million and reported growth in its order book, including contracts with government and Utility customers. Business customers increasingly rely on secure connectivity and managed services, and the group is investing in capabilities in these areas.

EE and 5G

EE's 5G+ population coverage reached 81%, up from 73% in March 2026. The group continues to invest in mobile network quality and capacity, which supports customer satisfaction and data usage.

Transformation and Efficiency

Transformation savings were £312 million in the half, taking the cumulative total to £1.7 billion against a target of £3.5 billion gross by FY30. Capital Expenditure was £2.3 billion, down 5%, as the full fibre build moves into its later stages.

Outlook

For FY27, excluding the Acquisition announced in October, BT expects adjusted revenue of £17.1–17.6 billion, adjusted EBITDA of £8.1–8.2 billion, capital expenditure excluding spectrum of £4.2–4.3 billion and normalised free Cash Flow of around £2.0 billion. It aims for normalised free cash flow of around £3.0 billion by the end of the decade.

Acquisition

BT announced the acquisition of a UK consumer broadband business with 2.5 million customers on 5 October 2026, subject to regulatory review. The deal would add scale to its consumer franchise.

Digital Services and Customer Experience

BT continues to simplify its products and invest in digital service to improve customer satisfaction. Bundling broadband, mobile and TV under one relationship can make it easier for households to manage their services, and the group is increasingly using data and automation to resolve queries more quickly. These changes are intended to lower the cost to serve while improving the experience.

Why Connectivity Matters

Reliable broadband and mobile networks underpin modern life, from home working and streaming to payments and public services. Government and regulators have set ambitious targets for national connectivity, and Openreach's full fibre build is a central part of delivering them. As more premises connect, the network is expected to support new applications and services for years ahead. The group is also investing in network resilience and security, which are increasingly important to households, businesses and public services. Reliable infrastructure supports economic activity, and BT's scale gives it a central role in delivering it.

Factors to Monitor

Investors following LSE:BT.A may watch the pace of full fibre take-up, mobile customer growth, cost savings, free cash flow progression and regulatory decisions.

Conclusion

BT Group Plc rose 1.69% to 217.0p today following half-year results with revenue of £8.8 billion, 24.1 million premises passed with full fibre and a 2.50p interim dividend. Full fibre, 5G and efficiency programmes remain central. Future company announcements should provide further detail on operating progress, capital allocation and management priorities.