BT boss: EE merger will create "digital champion" for UK

BT’s £12.5bn takeover of EE will create a “true UK digital champion” to fuel the digital-hungry British public, according to BT boss Gavin Patterson.

Patterson said the new entity would have the scope to meet the UK’s digital future – and help distance the country from international competition.

“The world is changing with customers wanting access to the internet on their terms,” he said.

“They are spending more time online than ever before and they want the best connection whether they are at home, in the office or on the move. Seamless connectivity is the future and we are keen to deliver the new, innovative services of the future.”

EE chief executive Olaf Swantee added that the UK is the “most digitally hungry country in Europe” and needs a company like BT to invest in the digital infrastructure of the future, such as 5G.

“A world-leading, combined fixed and mobile, digital infrastructure will sit at the heart of a successful UK economy. The success of the UK in the future will be built on its ability to deliver real-time, data-heavy information through leading edge network technology. Bringing BT and EE together makes that possible,” he said.

The deal – if approved – would combine BT’s more than 10 million retail customers and EE’s 24.5 million mobile subscribers.

The proposed acquisition still remains subject to merger approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority.