By Simon Zekaria
LONDON--BT Group PLC (BT.A.LN), the U.K. telecommunications
incumbent, Thursday called on U.K. communications regulator Ofcom
to widen its review of the U.K. broadband Internet sector to
include pay-television services, citing high prices and lack of
competition.
John Petter, chief executive of BT's consumer business, said
while the U.K.'s broadband market showed rising speed and strong
performance, the pay-TV market resulted in "bad outcomes" for
consumers.
Mr. Petter also said the pay-TV market has "major barriers to
entry for new players."
BT has spent billions of dollars in recent years developing its
pay-TV service, including sports channels.
It is competing with operators like Sky PLC (SKY.LN) and Liberty
Global PLC (LBTYA) for subscribers in the U.K.'s rapidly developing
market for so-called quadruple-play bundled services of fixed
telephony, mobile telephony, Internet broadband and TV.
-Write to Simon Zekaria at simon.zekaria@wsj.com
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