BTPLC Annual Report 2006

BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Our principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services. In the UK, we serve around 20 million business and residential customers, as well as providing network services to other operators.

BT Group plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales and listed on the London and New York stock exchanges. It was incorporated in England and Wales on 30 March 2001 as Newgate Telecommunications Limited with the registered number 4190816. Its registered office address is 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ. The company changed its name to BT Group plc on 11 September 2001. Following the demerger of O2 in November 2001, the continuing activities of BT were transferred to BT Group plc.
     British Telecommunications plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all the businesses and assets of the BT group. The successor to the statutory corporation British Telecommunications, it was incorporated in England and Wales as a public limited company, wholly owned by the UK Government, as a result of the Telecommunications Act 1984. Between November 1984 and July 1993, the UK Government sold all of its shareholding in British Telecommunications plc in three public offerings.

This is the annual report for the year ended 31 March 2006. It complies with UK regulations and is the annual report on Form 20-F for the US Securities and Exchange Commission to meet US regulations.
     This annual report has been sent to shareholders who have elected to receive a copy. A separate annual review and notice of meeting (including summary financial statements) for the year ended 31 March 2006 has been issued to all shareholders.

In this annual report, references to ‘BT Group’, ‘BT’, ‘the group’, ‘the company’, ‘we’ or ‘our’ are to BT Group plc (which includes the continuing activities of British Telecommunications plc) and its subsidiaries and lines of business, or any of them as the context may require.
     References to the ‘financial year’ are to the year ended 31 March of each year, eg the ‘2006 financial year’ refers to the year ended 31 March 2006. Unless otherwise stated, all non-financial statistics are at 31 March 2006.
     Please see cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements.

For the purposes of US reporting requirements applicable to first time adopters of IFRS, BT hereby incorporates by reference from its Annual report on Form 20-F for 2005 in the five year financial summary, the discussion of the 2005 financial year and the financial statements and supporting notes.

A number of measures quoted in this Annual Report are ‘non-GAAP’ measures. The directors believe these measures provide a more meaningful analysis of the trading results of the group and are consistent with the way financial performance is measured by management. These include EBITDA and profit before specific items, earnings per share before specific items, net debt and free cash flow. The rationale for using non-GAAP measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable IFRS indicator are provided on: Introduction to the financial review; Accounting policies; Net debt; and Acquisitions.