BT is making preparations to re-enter the wireless market, only five months after it demerged its mobile subsidiary. It wants to offer an own-brand mobile service to corporate customers by purchasing airtime from mmO2, its former wireless division.
The UK telephone operator is also planning to build Britain’s first public access wireless network. This will allow laptop users to access a wireless high-speed network in high demand places such as airports.
The mobile strategy could generate GBP180 million per year by 2005 in extra revenue and up to GBP500 million per year by 2007, BT says. Although BT will not physically own a mobile network, it will soon be a mobile player again.
