Profits for BT have decreased, yet the organization maintains its claim of being on course.
BT, the UK's leading telecommunications company, has announced its Q2 2025 results, revealing a 10% decrease in profit before tax to £468 million. Despite this decline, the company is seeing strong customer demand for its next-generation broadband and mobile connectivity across all its brands.
The decline in BT Group's profit and revenue primarily stems from several factors. The total adjusted revenue dropped by 3% year-on-year to about £4.9 billion, mainly due to weaker handset sales in the Consumer segment and continued challenging international trading conditions. These factors offset gains from FTTP (fiber-to-the-premises) growth in Openreach and price increases.
BT's consumer broadband average revenue per user (ARPU) decreased by 2% year-on-year, indicating some pressure on revenue per customer despite growth in subscriber numbers. Openreach broadband lines fell by 169,000, impacted by losses to competitors and a weaker broadband market, although FTTP premises passed and connected continued to grow significantly.
The company's adjusted EBITDA slightly decreased by 1% to £2.1 billion. The drop occurred due to a 3% fall in Consumer business EBITDA and a 9% fall in Business EBITDA, which was partly offset by a 5% growth in Openreach EBITDA. Profit before tax fell 10% to £468 million, primarily impacted by an increase in net finance costs and higher depreciation and amortisation expenses.
Despite these challenges, BT remains committed to its FTTP and 5G investments. The company's 5G network is now available to over 87% of the UK population, and BT's full fibre broadband now reaches over 19 million homes and businesses.
BT Group also reported a positive note with a 41,000 increase in its postpaid mobile base and a broadly flat postpaid mobile ARPU at £19.4. The consumer broadband base increased by 11,000, and total premises connected by BT increased to 7.1 million.
BT Group's final dividend for the year was declared at 5.76p per share in May, bringing its full-year dividend to 8.16p, an increase of 2% on the previous year.
Looking ahead, BT Group has reconfirmed its full-year fiscal 2026 guidance and multi-year financial outlook. The company highlights operational progress, including steady FTTP rollout and increasing 5G population coverage, which are strategic investments expected to support future revenue growth and competitiveness.
BT Group is investing more than anyone else in the nation's networks, and the CEO and incoming CFO emphasize the importance of continuing these network investments. They expect to see improvements in UK service revenues potentially starting next year.
In a significant move, Patricia Cobian, currently finance chief at Virgin Media O2, has been appointed to succeed Simon Lowth as BT's group chief financial officer, set to join BT in mid-2026.
[1] BT Group Q2 2025 Results: https://www.bt.com/aboutus/investors/resultsandreports/q2-2025 [2] BT Group Full-Year Results 2024/25: https://www.bt.com/aboutus/investors/resultsandreports/full-year-results-202425 [3] BT Group Interim Management Statement 2025/26: https://www.bt.com/aboutus/investors/resultsandreports/imst-202526 [4] Virgin Media O2 Announces Patricia Cobian as New Chief Financial Officer: https://corporate.virginmedia.com/news/virgin-media-o2-announces-patricia-cobian-as-new-chief-financial-officer [5] BT Group CEO and Incoming CFO Discuss Q2 Results and Future Outlook: https://www.bt.com/aboutus/investors/resultsandreports/bt-group-ceo-and-incoming-cfo-discuss-q2-results-and-future-outlook
- Despite a 10% decrease in profit before tax for BT Group in Q2 2025, the company continues to invest significantly in FTTP and 5G technologies.
- The decline in BT's adjusted EBITDA, primarily caused by a drop in Consumer and Business EBITDA, was partly offset by growth in Openreach EBITDA, indicating ongoing investments in business and technology.
- In an effort to strengthen its financial and strategic position, BT Group has appointed Patricia Cobian, current finance chief at Virgin Media O2, as its new group chief financial officer, effective mid-2026.
