BT-A.L - BT Group plc

British network Three joins 5G mobile club

British network Three is rolling out 5G mobile to major cities including London, Glasgow and Birmingham from the end of the month, joining its larger rivals in offering next-generation services on new 5G-enabled handsets. Three, owned by Hong Kong's Hutchison, launched a 5G home broadband product in central London last year, but Chief Executive Dave Dyson said he wanted all elements of the network, including its cutting edge "cloud core", fully functioning before moving onto mobile.

Missed call? Counting the cost of no-show Mobile World Congress

For an event meant to showcase the power of telecoms, cancelling this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona without a back-up plan has perplexed many in the trillion-dollar sector. Wednesday's decision to call off the telecoms industry's biggest annual gathering over fears of coronavirus, which has yet to reach mainland Spain, has left a hole in marketing budgets and dealt a $500 million blow to the local economy. Sony and Nokia said after pulling out of the event that they would hold product launches online instead, while South Korea's Samsung Electronics showcased a new folding phone at separate event in San Francisco last week.

Mobile World Congress cancellation "not about money" - host GSMA

The decision to cancel a major telecoms conference in Barcelona slated for later this month after mass withdrawals due to fears over a coronavirus outbreak was motivated only by a desire to protect people's health and safety, organisers said on Thursday. "This is not about money - it's about health and safety and the reputation of our show," Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA telecoms association that hosts the event told a news conference the day after announcing its cancellation.

Spanish health authorities say no reason to cancel Mobile World Congress

Spanish health officials said on Wednesday there was no reason to cancel the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona over coronavirus fears, despite major companies pulling out of the event. National Health Minister Salvador Illa said the government's goal was protecting people's health, but that it would take additional measures if necessary. The assurance came after behind-the-scenes pressure on Spanish authorities to declare that holding the event in Barcelona would pose a public health risk, which could potentially in turn trigger a payout on any event insurance taken out by the organisers.

We're monitoring coronavirus, say organisers of Barcelona telecoms meet

The organisers of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) said on Wednesday they were monitoring "the fast-changing" development of the coronavirus, in a statement issued after sources said the event in Barcelona was likely to be called off. "We have already implemented additional health measures ahead of MWC 2020 and will continue to seek expert medical advice on a frequent basis," it added.

Britain's BT pulls out of Mobile World Congress

Telecoms lobby to discuss Barcelona congress on Wednesday - source

Telecoms industry lobby GSMA will hold a virtual board meeting on Wednesday to discuss a major conference later this month which is looking increasingly threatened by fears of coronavirus, a person with knowledge of the matter said. Board members of the GSMA will discuss the Barcelona conference by phone at 1300 GMT, according to the person, who declined to be named.

Deutsche Telekom pulls out of Barcelona congress - source

Deutsche Telekom is pulling out of this month's Mobile World Congress, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, adding an official announcement by other European telecoms operators was possible later in the day. Such a step, if confirmed, would deal a fatal blow to the Feb. 24-27 that traditionally draws 100,000 visitors to Barcelona, as European operators are foundational members of the GSMA industry association that hosts the event. The GSMA board, comprising industry executives, will convene on Friday to review its options, sources said.

Britain to look to allies to find 5G alternatives to Huawei - minister

Britain will look to international allies to develop alternatives to Huawei to use in developing its 5G network, digital minister Nicky Morgan said on Wednesday. Britain granted Huawei a limited role in Britain's 5G mobile network last week, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West's next-generation communications. "We are very determined... that another provider of 5G equipment is needed in order to provide that resilience to our very important 5G network," Morgan told reporters after a speech in London.

BT CEO: we will have to remove some Huawei gear from 4G network

BT said it will have to switch some of its existing mobile network equipment from Huawei to other providers to meet the government's 35% cap on the Chinese company's involvement in Britain's next generation networks. "Inevitably, because of the way that the network works on 4G and 5G there will be some 4G boxes that are Huawei that will have to be eradicated," Chief Executive Philip Jansen told reporters.

LIVE MARKETS-On our radar: Deutsche Bank, tech, watchmakers and autos

* Eyes on BoE meeting: rate cut hangs in balance Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Danilo Masoni. There was no Fed change overnight to counter concerns over damage from the spreading new China virus and after a two-day bounce European shares are set to resume their slide from record levels. More Q4 earnings will also be on the radar and Deutsche Bank posting a larger-than-expected annual loss, its fifth in a row as Germany's top bank undergoes a costly overhaul, isn't exactly a good start to the day.

BT misses third quarter forecasts

BT, Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, reported a worse-than-expected 3% drop in third-quarter revenue to 5.78 billion pounds ($7.6 billion) and 4% drop in core earnings to 1.98 billion pounds, but said it remained on track for the year. The company said it welcomed the British government's decision to allow Huawei to take a role in building future networks, although it added it had estimated that the new rules would cost it 500 million pounds over five years.