BT sells off 'full-time' satellite business to Arqiva for £25 million

Fresh from yesterday's acquisition of PlusNet for £67 million, BT has sold part of its satellite broadcast business to Arqiva for £25 million.

The deal is subject to the regulatory green light in the UK and Germany.

Users in the UK, US, France, Italy and the Netherlands with long-term contracts with BT, will transfer to the care of Arqiva, which has five divisions focusing on satellite, terrestrial, mobile, wireless and public safety solutions.

The telecommunications giant's satellite focus is split into full-time and occasional use services, the former of which has been sold off.

BT's services are currently delivered via six teleports, based in the UK, US and France.

Under the deal, Arqiva will take ownership of one of the UK-based teleports in addition to those located in the US and France.

"We're delighted to have reached this agreement with Arqiva and believe it's an excellent outcome for customers and staff alike," said Barry Bonnett, chief executive of BT's media and broadcast arm.

"This is core business for Arqiva and it has previously demonstrated successful integration capabilities. A feature of the deal is that Arqiva will become a partner to BT in providing satellite broadcast services to integrate into media solutions for our customers. We expect a smooth transition with no disruption for customers and excellent prospects for staff transferring."

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