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Shareholder information
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Glossary of terms
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21CN: an end-to-end, next-generation IP network, designed to transform the customer experience by delivering new, converged services rapidly and cost effectively. It is one of the largest investments in the UK’s communications infrastructure by a private sector company. |
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3G: in mobile telephony, third-generation, or 3G, protocols support much higher data rates, intended for applications other than voice. 3G wireless is digital and includes such enhanced features as high-speed transmission, global roaming and advanced multimedia access. |
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active (voice) customers: BT telephony customers who are actively using the service |
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ADSL: asymmetric digital subscriber line – transforms the existing copper wires between the local telephone exchange and a customer’s telephone sockets into a high-speed digital line |
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ARPU: average revenue per user |
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ATM: asynchronous transfer mode – is a packet switching network protocol designed to support transmission of data with a number of guarantees relating to quality |
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backhaul network: the network linking a communication provider’s network with the BT exchange |
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broadband: comes from ‘broad bandwidth’ and is used to describe a high-capacity, two-way link between an end user and an access network supplier – capable of carrying a wide range of applications |
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BT Conferencing: a business within BT Enterprises offering global audio, video and web collaboration services |
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BT Directories: a business within BT Enterprises offering directory enquiries, operator services and the phone book, as well as more recently developed on-line and CD-ROM services |
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BT Enterprises: a business unit within BT Retail encompassing BT Conferencing, BT Directories, BT Expedite, BT Payphones, BT redcare and dabs.com |
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BT Expedite: a business within BT Enterprises offering specialist store integration solutions and services |
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BT Global Services: BT’s line of business providing global services (including managed networks, outsourcing and systems integration on an agile IP infrastructure) to multi-site organisations, such as corporate and government customers across Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. It also serves wholesale customers
outside the UK. |
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BT Ireland: a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc, and a fully integrated division of BT Retail. It operates in the consumer, business, major business and wholesale markets throughout the island of Ireland. |
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BT Payphones: a business within BT Enterprises providing street, managed and private payphones and card services |
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BT Pension Scheme (BTPS): The BTPS is the group’s main final salary pension scheme, where benefits are based on employees’ length of service and final pensionable pay. |
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BT redcare: a business within BT Enterprises offering secure intelligent monitoring and tracking services, including alarm monitoring, CCTV, machine monitoring, secure mobile data solutions and vehicle tracking |
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BT Retail: a BT line of business offering a wide range of
retail products and services to the consumer and small to medium business markets |
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BT Retirement Plan (BTRP): a defined contribution-style pension arrangement that was introduced for new BT employees from 1 April 2001 |
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BT Wholesale: a BT line of business providing network services and solutions within the UK. It services more than 700 communications companies, including other BT businesses. |
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Business in the Community: an organisation of more than 700 of the UK’s top companies committed to improving their positive impact on society |
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Childline: the UK’s free, 24-hour helpline for children in distress or danger |
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Consult 21: the programme through which BT is working closely with the industry to agree the 21CN roll-out plan |
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convergence: has various interpretations. It can mean the delivery of voice, video and data across all networks. It also refers to the integration of fixed and mobile solutions, sometimes on a single handset. |
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CPS: carrier pre-selection enables customers to choose to have certain call types carried by another network operator |
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CRM: customer relationship management |
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CSR: corporate social responsibility |
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dabs.com: a business within BT Enterprises, it is one of the UK’s leading internet retailers of IT and technology products |
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Dow Jones Sustainability Index: assesses 2,500 companies worldwide on their performance in areas such as corporate governance and ethical practices, investor relations, environmental management, community investment, human rights, health and safety, diversity, supply chain and risk management |
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DSL: digital subscriber line – a broadband service similar to ADSL, but with upload and download transmission rates the same |
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EMEA: Europe, the Middle East and Africa |
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EMP: Equivalence Management Platform – Openreach’s transactional platform that underpins all its interactions with communications providers. It can process up to 100,000 orders a day. |
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EPS: earnings per share |
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ESIP: Employee Share Investment Plan – a plan under which BT can provide free shares to employees, and employees can buy shares in BT from pre-tax salaries |
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FASB: Financial Accounting Standards Board – the board which sets US GAAP accounting standards |
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Gb: gigabits (per second) |
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GCTO: BT Group Chief Technology Office – responsible for creating BT’s innovation strategy |
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GSM: global system for mobile communications – the standard for digital cellular communications that has been widely adopted across Europe and other territories |
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IASB: International Accounting Standards Board – the board which sets International Financial Reporting Standards |
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ICT: information and communication technology |
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IFRS: International Financial Reporting Standards |
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IP: internet protocol – a packet-based protocol for delivering data – including voice and video – across networks |
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IPO: initial public offering – the first issue of shares when launching a company onto the stock market |
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IPVPN: internet protocol virtual private network |
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ISDN: integrated services digital network – an all digital network that enables a host of services to be carried together on the same circuits. It makes it possible for any two compatible pieces of connected equipment to talk to each other. |
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ISO 9001: the international quality management standard |
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ISP: internet service provider |
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LAN: local area network – a network that operates within a limited geographical area, such as in a building. It connects a variety of data devices, such as PCs, servers and printers at a very high data rate. |
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managed solutions: where BT has complete responsibility for end-to-end design, implementation and control of managing and monitoring customer networks and services |
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Mb: megabits (per second) |
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MPLS: multi-protocol label switching – supports the rapid transmission of data across network routers, enabling modern networks to achieve high quality of service |
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MVNO: mobile virtual network operator. A mobile operator does not own its own spectrum, and usually does not have its own network infrastructure. Instead, MVNOs have business arrangements with traditional mobile operators to buy minutes of use for sale to their own customers. |
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N3: the national broadband network that BT is building for the NHS |
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narrowband: non-broadband, fixed access network or line |
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new wave: a collective name for networked IT, broadband and mobility products and services, to differentiate them from traditional voice services |
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Ofcom: the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services |
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One IT: a collective name for all of the IT resource within the BT group |
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Openreach: Openreach looks after the ‘first mile’ of network, from the exchange through to homes and businesses. Its role is to provide services to all communications providers – including other BT lines of business – on a fair, equal and open basis. |
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PSTN: public switched telephone network |
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Queen’s Award for Enterprise: the UK’s most prestigious award for business performance |
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re-usable capabilities: a set of re-usable components for use in product and service development. Instead of creating new systems, and deploying new hardware/software to build a product, product managers, network and systems designers will increasingly pick from a catalogue of common capabilities. |
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Route2Learn (R2L): BT’s learning management system |
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SME: small or medium enterprise |
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SMP: significant market power |
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STM: synchronous transfer mode |
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Undertakings: a series of legally-binding commitments BT made to Ofcom, designed to bring greater transparency and certainty to the regulation of the telecommunications industry in the UK. They led to the formation of Openreach. |
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UK GAAP: United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
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US GAAP: United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
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USO: universal service obligation |
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VoIP: voice over internet protocol – a method of transporting speech over the internet |
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VPN: virtual private network – a voice and/or data network which offers the features and characteristics of a private network but is in fact configured this way from a part of the public network or the internet |
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WAN: wide area network – a network spread over a large geographical area |
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Wi-Fi: wireless networking – the ability to connect to a network or a PC using radio as opposed to a physical (cabling) connection |
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wireless cities: an initial group of 12 cities with networks set up by BT providing wire-free, high-speed broadband coverage which can be used for easy access to information and services in city centre locations and offer a range of new services for consumers, businesses and local authority workers |
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