UK Communications Watchdog Fines BT Over Northern Ireland Tender -- Update
December 11 2020 - 10:27AM
Dow Jones News
By Adria Calatayud
U.K. communications regulator Ofcom said Friday that it has
fined BT Group PLC 6.3 million pounds ($8.4 million) for failing to
meet regulatory obligations during the tender for a public sector
telecoms contract in Northern Ireland.
The regulator said BT's network arm didn't provide the same
network information to bid teams from BT and telecom company eircom
Group Ltd. in a tender between April 2017 and March 2018, as
required under Ofcom rules. BT's bid won the contract in June 2018,
the regulator said.
Ofcom said it doesn't believe that the breaches it found were
deliberate, and that its fine was reduced to reflect BT's agreement
to settle the investigation by admitting full liability. BT and its
Openreach arm cooperated with Ofcom's investigation, the regulator
said.
"We are considering our options in light of today's decision and
BT's admission of liability," Philip O'Meara, regional director of
eir Business Northern Ireland, said.
A BT spokesperson said the company cooperated with and accepted
Ofcom's findings, and that it has already put measures in place to
prevent its errors from happening again.
Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 11, 2020 11:12 ET (16:12 GMT)
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