Telecoms giant BT has reported a significant slowdown in customer losses, signalling a potential stabilisation within the fiercely competitive broadband market.

The group revealed it shed 210,000 broadband customers during the final three months of 2025.

This figure proved less severe than market expectations, which had predicted losses exceeding 230,000.

Consequently, BT has adjusted its full-year projection for Openreach fixed-line broadband customer losses downwards, now forecasting 850,000, an improvement from its earlier estimate of 900,000.

Simultaneously, the company experienced a notable surge in demand for full-fibre coverage, successfully adding 571,000 new customers in the quarter.

Openreach has contended with customer attrition in recent years, largely due to the rise of low-priced competitors, often termed “retail altnets,” including providers like CityFibre.

However, chief executive Allison Kirkby informed the Press Association that this competitive pressure is now “abating” as BT continues to expand its full-fibre infrastructure across the country.

She said: “We’re building further and faster across the country than anybody else, because we’re getting into the areas where we didn’t previously have fibre.

“Now we have two-thirds of the country on fibre and we’re seeing reduced competition, so the consumer demand is there.”

The telecoms giant reported that revenues fell by 4 per cent to £5 billion in the quarter to December 31 due to service revenue declines.

It was also impacted by lower equipment revenues, largely linked to weakness in handsets, and divestments.

Adjusted UK service revenues fell by 2 per cent to £3.8 billion for the quarter.

Meanwhile, pre-tax profits fell to £183 million for the quarter, compared with £427 million a year earlier, after being hit by £214 million of losses related to its sports joint venture behind TNT Sports.

It runs the joint venture alongside US media giant Warner Bros Discovery, which has been at the centre of a bidding war between rivals Netflix and Paramount Skydance.

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BT stressed it was still on track to meet its financial guidance for the current year.

Ms Kirkby said: “BT continues to deliver on its strategy – building and connecting the UK to the best next-generation networks at record pace, while accelerating our transformation.

“Our network leadership strengthened further in the quarter, with full-fibre broadband now reaching more than 21 million homes and businesses, and our 5G+ network accessible to 69 per cent of the population.

“Openreach achieved record full-fibre connections and our consumer division again added customers in broadband, mobile and TV.”

Hyundai i20 Price Cut Details: Hyundai Motor India has made the i20 more affordable by cutting prices for several variants. Now the premium hatchback is more accessible to buyers with a starting price of Rs 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Earlier, the entry price was Rs 6.86 lakh. That is a big drop for a car in this segment.

Official Statement

Commenting on the announcement, Sunil Moolchandani, National Sales Head, HMIL, said, “With the new starting price of Rs 5,99,000, we are making the i20 experience even more compelling, accessible and desirable for customers. This reflects our commitment to offering value-driven mobility solutions.”

New base variant

The i20 lineup now starts from the Era variant, priced at Rs 5,99,000 (ex-showroom). The variant comes equipped with 6 airbags, digital instrument cluster, front and rear skid plates, body-colour ORVMs and door handles, Type-C USB charger and telescopic steering.

Hyundai has also reduced prices for the mid-level trims. The i20 Magna Executive now costs Rs 6,73,900, compared to Rs 6,86,865 earlier. The i20 Magna is priced at Rs 6,99,900, down from Rs 7,12,385. All prices are ex-showroom.

Hyundai i20 Magna Executive features 

The Magna Executive variant comes equipped with a digital cluster, front and rear skid plates, shark fin antenna, Highline Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), automatic headlamps, telescopic steering, keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVM and steering wheel with audio & Bluetooth controls.

Hyundai  i20 Magna features 

Building on this, the Hyundai i20 Magna variant further enhances the premium quotient with features such as an electric sunroof, LED DRLs, rear AC vents and front armrest with storage.

Hyundai is also offering a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system as a dealer-installed option. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and comes with a rear camera. This package costs Rs 14,999 and includes a 3-year warranty on the screen.

New Delhi: Indian stock indices settled lower on Thursday, with analysts attributing the decline to profit booking following the recent uptick after the announcement of the India-US trade deal.

Sensex closed at 83,313.93 points, down 503.76 points, or 0.60 per cent, while Nifty closed at 25,642.80 points, down 133.20 points or 0.52 per cent, respectively.

According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, Indian equities saw consolidation, as weakness was followed by a sharp rally in recent sessions driven by optimism around the US-India trade deal.

Nair said possibly profit booking was at play today.

“Global cues added further pressure, with concerns over a broad-based tech sell-off in international markets and heightened US-Iran tensions leading to risk-off sentiment. Metals and small-cap stocks were key underperformers, while broader indices reflected cautious trading,” Nair added.

Market participants are now turning their attention to the upcoming RBI policy meeting slated for Friday. “With India’s growth outlook remaining strong, consensus expectations point toward a status quo on rates,” Nair said.

Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, a SEBI – registered online trading and wealth tech firm, said Indian equity markets traded in a tight range, signalling a wait-and-watch phase as investors remained cautious in the absence of fresh domestic triggers.

“While overall sentiment remained stable, the benchmarks struggled to sustain momentum at higher levels, reflecting a lack of follow-through buying despite earlier positives,” Ponmudi R said.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, after the December MPC meeting, characterised India’s current macroeconomic moment as a “rare goldilocks period”, that marks high economic growth and exceptionally low inflation.

The monetary policy committee of the RBI had cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 per cent, after the three-day review meeting that had concluded in December 5.