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☆ British telco giant BT expects to launch 5G standalone — or 'true' 5G — later this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jason Alden | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBARCELONA — British telecommunications giant BT says it expects to launch its first so-called "standalone 5G" network in 2024. Howard Watson, BT's chief technology officer, told CNBC that the telco group plans to switch on its standalone 5G network, which is often referred to in the industry as "true" 5G, later this year. "We've already been ensuring that the SIM cards that our customers have in their current 5G devices can do 5G standalone," Watson added. 5G standalone is different from 5G Advanced, though. 5G standalone refers to the development of a 5G network that isn't being built on top of 4G cores.

Persons: Jason Alden, Howard Watson, Watson, Milind Kulkarni, Kulkarni Organizations: BT Group, Bloomberg, Getty, BT, CNBC, Mobile, Congress, Swedish, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung Locations: Reading, BARCELONA, British, Barcelona, Europe

☆ The BT Tower, London’s futuristic landmark, to become hotel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Tourists who fancy getting a top-down view of London may soon be able to book themselves a room in the city’s famous BT Tower. Situated in Fitzrovia, central London, it was officially opened by the then-prime minister, Harold Wilson, the following year. An aerial view of the BT Tower Tim Motion/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty ImagesOriginally known as the Post Office Tower, the building was designed to relay microwave signals carrying telecommunications from London around the country. It remained London’s tallest building until 1980, when it was overtaken by the NatWest Tower in the financial district. It’s been a privilege to adapt the TWA Flight Center into new use for future generations, as it will be the BT Tower.”

Persons: Harold Wilson, Tim, Brent Mathews, “ It’s, Eero Saarinen’s, John F, Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, Tyler Morse, Morse, It’s Organizations: London CNN — Tourists, BT, “, BT Group, British, Post, NatWest, MCR, TWA, Big Apple, Art Deco New Yorker, TWA Flight, Center Locations: London, Westminster, Fitzrovia, England, New, JFK

☆ The BT Tower, a Once-Futuristic London Landmark, Will Become a Hotel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the London Eye are all important landmarks in Britain’s capital. But after another staple of the city’s skyline, the BT Tower, was sold to an American group on Wednesday, plans are afoot to turn it into a hotel: one that rises 581 feet (177 meters) above the ground. “We will take our time to carefully develop proposals that respect the London landmark’s rich history and open the building for everyone to enjoy,” Tyler Morse, the chief executive of MCR Hotels, which bought the tower, said in a statement. The sale price was 275 million pounds ($346 million), the seller, BT Group, said in a statement. MCR owns several notable hotels, including the TWA Hotel, which occupies the Eero Saarinen-designed former TWA terminal at Kennedy Airport, and the High Line Hotel in New York City, which was formerly a dormitory for the General Theological Seminary.

Persons: ” Tyler Morse, MCR, Eero Saarinen Organizations: BT, MCR, BT Group, TWA, Kennedy Airport, General Theological Seminary Locations: Paul’s, London, Britain’s, New York City

☆ These 5 stocks are on Goldman's European conviction list — and it gives one 130% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs has unveiled its "conviction list" of top stock picks in Europe for December — and London-listed shares of BT Group stand out. Goldman Sachs expects BT's share price to more than double to 290 pence over the next 12 months. Wall Street rivals Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan also believe BT shares are mispriced as investors have undervalued its network arm, Openreach. Conviction list Other prominent stocks on Goldman's conviction list include Delivery Hero , Burberry , Bureau Veritas and Philips . Goldman notes that its conviction list should not be seen as a portfolio, as the stocks are not weighted.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: BT Group, BT, Wall, JPMorgan, Burberry, Veritas, Philips Locations: Europe, London

☆ These 3 stocks could rally by another 50%, analysts say, despite big jumps this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Three stocks — Liberty Broadband , U.K.'s BT Group and JD Sports Fashion — have risen by double-digit percentages this year. Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband is a telecommunication holding company that has an ownership interest in Charter Communications, the second-largest cable operator in the United States. The consensus price target of analysts polled by FactSet points to a 55% upside potential for Liberty Broadband shares from the current share price of $82. Deutsche Bank views Liberty Broadband as an attractive way to invest in Charter, estimating it trades at a 32% discount to net asset value (NAV). BT.A-GB YTD line Their price target of 220 pence implies an additional 79% share price increase over the next year from the current share price of 123 pence.

Persons: FactSet, Bryan Kraft, Benjamin Soff, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, Kate Calvert, Calvert, JD, Michael Bloom Organizations: Liberty Broadband, BT Group, JD, Wall, CNBC Pro, CNBC Pro Stock, Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband, Charter Communications, Deutsche Bank, CHTR, BT, JD Sports, North America, Dick's Sporting Goods Locations: United States, Alaska, U.K, BT.A, Europe, North, Derby, Heerlen, Netherlands, U.S

☆ Goldman Sachs updates its 'directors’ cut’ list of top Europe stocks with major upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chip stock addition One notable update to Goldman Sach's directors' cut list was the addition of ASML Holdings – a Netherlands-headquartered chip machine-maker that has Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ( TSMC ) as its biggest customer. Stocks on the list British telecommunications player BT Group made the investment bank's updated directors' cut list – with an upside of around 149% from its Oct. 30 close, based on a 12-month price target of £280 ($340.68). Delivery Hero is another favorite stock, with a price target of 53.90 euros ($57.04), giving it an upside of approximately 128%. German real estate player Vonovia was another company that made the investment bank's list with 75% upside based on a 12-month price target of 36.70 euros. They are thus focused on identifying quality growth and select value stocks for their their conviction list of top buy-rated stocks.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, ASML Holdings Goldman, Stocks, Vonovia, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: ASML Holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Euronext, Nasdaq, BT Group Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Euronext Amsterdam, ASML, bullish, British

☆ BT maintains 2024 outlook after Q2 core profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - BT Group (BT.L), Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, posted second quarter earnings slightly ahead of forecasts putting it on track to meet 2024 guidance, in one of the outgoing CEO's final announcements. Strong cost controls helped BT post a 3% rise in adjusted core profit (EBITDA) to 2.06 billion pounds ($2.51 billion) for the three months to the end of September, beating the 2.03 billion pounds consensus forecast. "These results show that BT Group is delivering and on target: we're rapidly building and connecting customers to our next generation networks, we're simplifying our products and services," Jansen said in a statement on Thursday. The quarterly result meant BT maintained its outlook to grow revenue and profits for its current 2024 financial year, and the group said it expected free cash flow towards the top end of its 1 billion to 1.2 billion pound range. ($1 = 0.8215 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Sarah Young in London; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Allison Kirkby, Sweden's, Philip Jansen, Jansen, Yadarisa, Sarah Young, Savio D'Souza, James Davey Organizations: BT, Britain's, Sweden's Telia, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ BT rises after quarterly earnings beat forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A BT Group Plc logo on a EE/BT Group Plc store in London, UK, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. BT Group, Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, posted a second quarter earnings beat and forecast annual cash flow at the top end of a range, lifting its shares in a parting boost for outgoing CEO Philip Jansen. Shares in BT jumped 5% in early deals, good news for Jansen who is due to step down early next year and has long said he has been disappointed by the group's stock performance. Her job will be to complete Jansen's multi-billion pound push into fibre networks and extending 5G networks, the cost of which has hit free cash flow and weighed on the share price. For the three months to the end of September, BT posted a 3% rise in adjusted core profit (EBITDA) to 2.06 billion pounds ($2.51 billion) beating the 2.03 billion pounds consensus forecast.

Persons: Philip Jansen, Jansen, Hargreaves, Matt Britzman, Allison Kirkby, Sweden's Organizations: BT, BT Group Plc, BT Group Locations: London

☆ UK's BBC, ITV among TV firms investigated over freelance contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The BBC logo is displayed above the entrance to the BBC headquarters in London, Britain, July 10, 2023. "ITV is committed to complying with competition law and to cooperating with the CMA's inquiries," it said in a statement. The probe also includes Hartswood Films, Red Planet Pictures and Sister Pictures, the CMA said. In July the regulator said it was investigating suspected breaches of competition law in relation to the purchase of services from freelancers in sports content by the BBC, BT Group, ITV, Sky UK and others. Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate Holton and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, James Davey Organizations: BBC, REUTERS, ITV, Markets, CMA, Hartswood, Red Planet Pictures, Sister Pictures, BT Group, Sky, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Goldman reveals its brand new 'conviction list' of European stocks — giving one nearly 150% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs has a new list of top stock picks for Europe, which it called its "most differentiated" ideas for the region. The "European Conviction List - Directors' Cut" is the bank's "curated and active" list of 15 to 25 buy-rated stocks. Goldman already has a conviction list of stock ideas across regions — which includes its top buy-rated stocks it expects to outperform. "The subcommittee will collaborate with each sector analyst to identify top ideas that offer a combination of conviction, a differentiated view and high risk-adjusted returns," Goldman wrote in the Oct.1 note. Goldman presented 18 European names in this new list, which it will update monthly.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Puma, Philips, Enel, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Europe, bank's, Investment, Puma, Volvo, Philips, BT, Veritas Locations: Europe

☆ Teen hacked Uber, Revolut and Grand Theft Auto maker, London jury finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - A teenage member of the Lapsus$ hacking group was on Wednesday found to have hacked Uber (UBER.N) and fintech firm Revolut then blackmailed the developers of best-selling videogame Grand Theft Auto after a trial at a London court. Arion Kurtaj, 18, embarked on a solo cyber crime spree in September 2022, first targeting Revolut before hacking Uber two days later. The teen then hacked Rockstar Games and threatened to release the planned Grand Theft Auto sequel's source code in a Slack message sent to all Rockstar staff. Kurtaj had previously hacked and blackmailed Britain's biggest broadband provider BT Group (BT.L) and mobile operator EE in 2021 and later chip maker Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) in February 2022. The jury on Wednesday found Kurtaj committed 12 offences, including three counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud and six charges under the Computer Misuse Act.

Persons: Revolut, Arion Kurtaj, Kurtaj, Sam Tobin, William James Our Organizations: Rockstar Games, Rockstar, Southwark Crown, BT Group, Nvidia Corp, Computer, Thomson Locations: London, Southwark

☆ UK's FTSE 100 opens lower ahead of BoE decision; LSEG falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.8%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Aug 3 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 opened lower on Thursday, with shares of London Stock Exchange Group weighing on the index, while investors awaited the Bank of England's verdict on monetary policy tightening later in the day. By 0710 GMT, the blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.8%, hovering near a two-week low hit on Wednesday, while the more domestically-focussed FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) lost 0.3%. London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L) lost 3.9% after its first-half profit before tax fell 17.6%. Also weighing was BT Group (BT.L), which fell 5.1% as shares of the telecom firm traded ex-dividend.

Persons: Toby Melville, Smith, SN.L, BoE, Shashwat Chauhan, Varun Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, London Stock Exchange, Bank of, BT Group, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Telecoms giant BT Group appoints Allison Kirkby as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kirby has previously served as president and CEO of Swedish telecoms provider Telia, with experience at Virgin Media and Denmark's TDC. She has been a member of the BT Group board for the past four years. His legacy includes BT's push to build a national fibre network, offering discounted wholesale fibre pricing to major broadband providers in exchange for shifting customers to the grid. U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom in May ruled that BT subsidiary Openreach's Equinox 2 wholesale pricing scheme was allowed. "Based on the evidence available to us, we don't consider Openreach's new pricing discounts to be anti-competitive," Ofcom said at the time.

Persons: Allison Kirkby, Philip Jansen, Kirby, Jansen Organizations: BT Group, Telia, Virgin Media, TDC, BT, Ofcom, Openreach's

☆ BT reiterates 2024 outlook on cost control and broadband demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BT Group, Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, reiterated its full-year outlook on Thursday as cost control and demand for broadband helped to offset inflationary pressures. The group said its adjusted core earnings rose 5% in the first quarter to 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion), in line with analyst forecasts. Jansen said this month he would step down within the next year, a couple of years before the completion of his ambitious full-fibre roll-out. Its shares are down 30% in the last year as the cost of building out new fibre and 5G networks, and the hit to free cash flow, weighed on the business. BT said its Openreach network division was now 44% of the way through its full fibre build, with total fibre connections growing to 3.5 million.

Persons: We've, Philip Jansen, Jansen Organizations: BT

☆ UK's Virgin Media O2 to lay off up to 2,000 employees by year end
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 24 (Reuters) - British mobile operator Virgin Media O2 said on Monday it was planning to lay off up to 2,000 employees by the end of this year. The company is a joint venture between the US-listed Liberty Global (LBTYA.O) and Spain's Telefonica (TEF.MC). Its rival BT Group (BT.L), Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, had cut 55,000 roles or more than 40% of its workforce in May. Earlier this month, the country's communications regulator Ofcom opened a probe, following complaints from users that the mobile operator was making it tough to cancel services. ($1 = 0.9041 euros)Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Mrinmay Dey in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Urvi Dugar, Mrinmay Dey Organizations: Virgin Media O2, Telegraph, Liberty Global, Spain's Telefonica, BT Group, Britain's, . Liberty Global, Vodafone, Ofcom, Thomson Locations: British, Bengaluru

☆ Goldman picks a raft of discounted global stocks — and gives two more than 100% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have picked a number of global stocks it says are trading at a discount — and said two of its picks could rise more than 100% over the next 12 months. The analysts picked telecommunications company BT Group , giving it an estimated 130% potential upside in the next year. Goldman also gave Lloyds Bank potential upside of 78%, and said South African technology group Naspers could rise by 71% over 12 months. 'Upside risks' The stocks all appear on Goldman's list called "value buys with earnings upside potential." The bank gave Intesta Sanpaolo a 58% potential upside to its 12-month price target.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, John Sawtell, Goldman, Andrew Lee, Sanpaolo, Chris Hallam, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Goldman, BT Group, BT, Natwest, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Bank, Porsche Locations: African

☆ Teen hacked Uber, Revolut and Grand Theft Auto maker, London court hears
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoLONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - A teenage member of the Lapsus$ hacking group hacked Uber (UBER.N) and fintech firm Revolut then blackmailed the developers of best-selling videogame Grand Theft Auto, prosecutors have told a London court. Arion Kurtaj, 18, is said to have targeted Revolut and Uber in September 2022, accessing around 5,000 Revolut customers' information and causing nearly $3 million of damage to Uber. Prosecutors allege he hacked Rockstar Games days later and threatened to release the planned Grand Theft Auto sequel's source code in a Slack message sent to all Rockstar staff. Kurtaj later embarked on a solo cyber crime spree, Barry said, first targeting Revolut then Uber two days later before hacking Rockstar Games. He has previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Computer Misuse Act and one count of fraud.

Persons: Arnd, Revolut, Arion Kurtaj, Uber, Kevin Barry, Kurtaj, Barry, Sam Tobin, Nick Macfie Organizations: Economic, REUTERS, Auto, Prosecutors, Rockstar, BT Group, Nvidia Corp, London's, BT, EE, Computer, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Davos, Switzerland, London, Lapsus, London's Southwark

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision on Tuesday, ruling against a government agency that had barred a transgender employee from using the women’s bathroom, according to public broadcaster NHK. The decision was the top court’s first ruling involving the rights of sexual minorities in the workplace, NHK reported. The plaintiff is an employee in her 50s, working at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). In an email to CNN on Tuesday, METI said it was aware that there was a Supreme Court ruling Tuesday regarding the use of women’s bathrooms by a transgender METI employee. And under Japan’s Gender Identity Disorder Special Cases Act, enacted 20 years ago, transgender individuals must undergo invasive surgeries – including sterilization – to be legally recognized according to their gender identity.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, METI, “ Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Tokyo CNN — Japan’s, Court, NHK, Japan’s Ministry, Economy, Trade, Industry, National Personnel Authority, CNN, Japan’s Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ JPMorgan reveals its 'pecking order' for the second half including these high-yielding global stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

JPMorgan has named a raft of European stocks it described as having high yields, strong balance sheets and safe dividends, such as BT Group , Bayer and Sainsbury's . In a July 3 note detailing its outlook for the second half of the year, analysts led by Mislav Matejka stated: "Our pecking order for 2H is: bullish on Staples, Utilities, Telecoms and Healthcare, European Energy could hold up well." The bank said international markets had outperformed the U.S., adding that it sees a "significant valuation discount in International vs US stocks." Its European Sustainable yield basket — made up of 40 "high- and sustainable-yielding European stocks, with safe dividends and strong balance sheets" — include stocks across the bank's preferred sectors. JPMorgan also chose a number of "cheap" global sectors it expects to outperform, including telecoms, energy and staples.

Persons: Mislav Matejka, JPMorgan's, J Sainsbury, Banks, Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, BT Group, Bayer, Sainsbury's, Healthcare, European Energy, International, Novartis, Sanofi, Telefonica, Telia Locations: Staples, Utilities, Swiss, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Europe

☆ BT CEO Jansen plans to step down over the next 12 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Britain's BT (BT.L) said on Monday it had started the hunt for a new chief executive after Philip Jansen told the board he planned to step down at "an appropriate moment" within the next year. He also recently set out his longer-term vision for BT, saying it could cut potentially over 40% of its workforce once it has completed the fibre rollout and adapted to new technologies such as artificial intelligence. "This is creating a much stronger BT Group which is starting to drive growth for both investors and the UK." Jansen, a former boss of Worldpay, took over at the top of BT in February 2019. "The succession process to replace Philip is something that the board was well prepared for," Chairman Adam Crozier said.

Persons: Philip Jansen, Jansen, Patrick Drahi, " Jansen, Worldpay, Philip, Adam Crozier, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: BT, Thomson

☆ Fear among Turkey's LGBT community after hostile election campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Burcu Karakas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The discrimination faced by the LGBT community has convinced the couple to plan to leave Turkey, he said. "Turkey has never been the perfect country for the LGBT community but now people feel insecure," Seren said. Matthew Warchus, the British director of "Pride", said he felt solidarity with Turkey's LGBT community. My message to those opposed to it being viewed is simply 'There is nothing to fear except fear itself'". Yilmaz, the LGBT rights advocate, said they had never been targeted like this before.

Persons: Cuneyt Yilmaz, Senkaya, Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan, pollsters, Bekir, Rumeysa Kadak, Mahmut Seren, Seren, cordoning, Cuneyt, Yilmaz, Matthew Warchus, Davut Gul, Melih, Burcu Karakas, Jonathan Spicer, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, AK, Aesthetics Culture Art Research Foundation, Istanbul Pride, Twitter, UniKuir, New Welfare Party, European Union, Yilmaz, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, ISTANBUL, Britain, British, Izmir, European

☆ Factbox: Vodafone, Hutchison UK merger to create country's largest mobile operator
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L) and CK Hutchison (0001.HK) unveiled the merger of their British operations, creating the country's largest mobile operator. Hutchison will own 49% and Vodafone 51% of the combined group, which will be led by current Vodafone UK boss Ahmed Essam. REVENUEUK represented 14% of group service revenue for Vodafone, and 16% of total revenue for Hutchison, according to latest annual results. RETAIL STORESThree has 311 retail stores in UK, according to its website, while Vodafone UK had 410 stores as of January. SPECTRUMVodafone has spectrum access between 3720-3760 MHz, while Three UK has access between 3460-3480 MHz, according to British telecoms regulator Ofcom.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Hutchison, Ahmed Essam, Eva Mathews Organizations: Vodafone, CK, HK, Hutchison, Ofcom, BT Group, O2, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ BT CEO pay to be frozen until retirement - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 7 (Reuters) - BT Group's (BT.L) CEO Philip Jansen is to freeze his salary of 1.1 million pounds ($1.4 million) until he retires from Britain's largest telecoms group, Sky News reported on Wednesday. The BT Group chief's base pay will be maintained at the level it was set when he joined the company in 2019 and is expected to be published in the telecoms group's annual report due Thursday, according to Sky News. Jansen's annual salary had been fixed for five years upon assuming the role in 2019, which would have expired this year. His salary was to be renewed on a rolling basis until he eventually left the company, said a source to Sky News. BT Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Philip Jansen, Patrick Drahi, Shreyaa Narayanan, Krishna Chandra Organizations: BT, Sky News, BT Group chief's, Franco, BT Group, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ It's becoming clear that AI is going to whack the mediocre middle of office workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

More specifically, AI could disproportionately impact the middle class of white-collar workers — the folks who are mid-career, mid-ability, mid-level, and yes, in some cases, mediocre. In other words, the lessons learned from months or years of experience are baked into an AI tool. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for example recently told Time that the same could be true for software developers. This doesn't mean the great software developers won't remain great software developers but the ability for more people to enter the field will increase. That's good news for many wannabe software developers, but it's also bad news for many existing software developers.

Persons: —, Erik Brynjolfsson, Lindsey R, Raymond, Danielle Li, Satya Nadella, it's, Aki Ito, Carl Benedikt Frey, Uber, Frey, Mark Muro, Jacob Zinkula, Richard Baldwin, Aaron Mok Organizations: Service, Fortune, Microsoft, Oxford Martin School, London, BT Group, Workers, Brookings Institution, Geneva Graduate Institute Locations: London, British, Switzerland

☆ Nearly 4,000 people lost their jobs last month because of AI — the first time that's been cited as a reason, one report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

About 3,900 people lost their jobs because of artificial intelligence in May, a new report found. It's the first time AI is listed as a cause in Challenger, Gray, and Christmas's monthly report. It's the latest piece of evidence that AI will disrupt a significant number of jobs. Some 3,900 of the over 80,000 job cuts that took place in May were attributed to AI, the report found. Outside of the pandemic, the start of 2023 has produced the worst layoff numbers since the 820,000 layoffs that took place to start 2009, per the Challenger report.

Persons: Gray, Britney Nguyen, Tessa, Philip Jansen, Amy Organizations: Morning, Challenger, Google, Disorder, BT Locations: Challenger, British

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