BT TV to use fibre broadband as it undergoes ‘massive transformation’

Alex Green, director of TV for BT Retail has announced that 2013 will be a year of ‘transformation’ for BT, which will use fibre broadband to deliver linear TV for the first time in BT’s history.

At the Westminster Media Forum last week, Green explained how BT will be driving its UK strategy in the coming year – shedding light on plans to extend the company’s fibre network throughout the country.

By next spring, Green told the audience that BT’s fibre network will cover two thirds of UK households – moving in to a much more “holistic offering” of linear and on-demand.

Green also hinted at dual screening options for BT’s sports channels – which are set to launch this summer – noting that interactivity will evolve over time.

“In terms of the specifics around apps and interactivity and so on, you’ll have to wait just a little more time to hear about that,” he said.

“BT’s been in TV for about six or seven years,” Green added, noting the ongoing investment in YouView, which was described as the “strategic platform” for the future. “It’s still a relatively young player and it’s still a relatively small player – we have about three quarters of a million subscribers.

“But in some ways BT was ahead of its time in selling a TV service based purely on on-demand – that was the package that BT Vision sold, and has sold successfully.

“On-demand only is a difficult thing for a lot of consumers to understand, but I think that is changing more quickly now, with Netflix, LoveFilm and other services. The reality though is that this is a year of massive transformation for BT and television, and I think the pay TV industry as a whole.”