BT Wholesale is the line of business within BT that provides network services and solutions within the UK. Its customers include communications companies, fixed and mobile network operators, internet and other service providers interconnecting with BT’s UK fixed network. The customer base also includes BT’s lines of business, BT Retail and BT Global Services. The majority of BT Wholesale’s revenue is internal (2006 – 54%, 2005 – 58%) and mainly represents trading with BT Retail.
     In the 2006 financial year, revenue totalled £9,232 million, an increase of 2%. External revenue increased by 11% to £4,226 million in the 2006 financial year (an increase of 15% excluding the impact of regulatory reductions to mobile termination rates). The increase reflects particularly strong growth in new wave revenues, mainly broadband. The regulatory price reductions on mobile termination rates have no impact on profitability.
     External revenue from traditional products increased by 1% in the 2006 financial year. Excluding the impact of regulatory reductions to mobile termination rates external traditional revenue was up 6% in the 2006 financial year. The increase in traditional revenue was mainly driven by growth in Partial Private Circuits (PPCs) and Wholesale Access. Customers continued to migrate from lower bandwidth products to less expensive alternatives such as PPCs and broadband and this is reflected in revenue from PPCs which increased by 18% to £225 million in the 2006 financial year. Substitution to broadband has resulted in the continued declining trend in Flat Rate Internet Access Call Origination revenues which have more than halved to £26 million in the 2006 financial year. Wholesale access revenues have increased by £142 million in the 2006 financial year as a result of increased volumes from other service providers.
     New wave revenue, including broadband and managed services grew by 56% to £1,033 million in the 2006 financial year. Broadband revenues grew by 74% year on year. Wholesale broadband connections, including LLU lines, increased to 7.9 million at 31 March 2006, an increase of 2.9 million compared to prior year, with all connections available at up to 2 Mbit/s.
     Internal revenue decreased by 5% to £5,006 million in the 2006 financial year. The reduction reflects both the impact of lower volumes of calls, lines and private circuits, and lower regulatory prices being reflected in internal charges.
     Gross variable profit increased by 1% to £7,031 million for the 2006 financial year reflecting volume changes and changes in the mix towards more profitable products.
     In the 2006 financial year, network and selling, general and administration costs, excluding leaver costs, were 3% higher at £3,103 million. Leaver costs were £34 million in the 2006 financial year and £62 million in the 2005 financial year. Activity levels in the network, driven by broadband and LLU volumes, have increased in the 2006 financial year. The financial impact of this increased activity has been mitigated by a series of cost reduction programmes focusing on efficiency, discretionary cost management and process improvements.
     EBITDA at £3,894 million in the 2006 financial year was 1% higher. EBITDA margins were maintained at 42% across both financial years.
     Depreciation and amortisation were flat in the 2006 financial year at £1,902 million.
     Operating profit at £1,992 million increased by 2% in the 2006 financial year. The operating profit margin increased to 22% compared to 21% in the 2005 financial year.
     Capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment and computer software at £2,013 million increased by 2% in the 2006 financial year. This reflects increased capital expenditure to prepare for the 21^st Century Network and to invest in new systems to ensure compliance with the Undertakings agreed with Ofcom. Investment in legacy network technologies continues to be lower than last year.
     Following Ofcom’s Strategic Review of Telecommunications, Openreach, a new line of business responsible for managing the UK access network on behalf of the telecommunications industry was launched on 21 January 2006. For the 2006 financial year Openreach’s results are included within BT Wholesale’s results. For the 2007 financial year Openreach will be reported as a separate business segment.

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