October milestone, September reporting period

BT said on November 5 that Openreach passed 10 million full-fibre connections in October. That is later than the September 30 end of the half-year reporting period, when connections stood at 9.9 million and take-up at 41%.

The network footprint reached 24.1 million premises, with 1.2 million added during the half-year. Premises passed measure the network’s reach; they are not the same as customers who have taken a connection. BT now expects to reach its 25 million build target in March.

What that means for households

For a specific home or business, use the linked Openreach checker with your postcode and address. Its results distinguish services available to order from areas still being built or only planned. Openreach says availability can differ even within one street because of engineering, access and permissions.

BT also reports 5G+ coverage of 81% of the UK population, up from 73% in March 2026. That is a population-coverage figure, not a promise that every location or device can use the service.

Revenue rises, cash flow falls

For the six months to September 30, reported revenue from continuing operations rose 1% to £8.753 billion. Adjusted EBITDA rose 1% to £4.097 billion, while reported profit before tax increased 12% to £1.071 billion. Normalised free cash flow fell 59% to £236 million.

BT presents International as a discontinued operation and has re-presented last year’s comparisons. Its approximately £2 billion normalised free-cash-flow outlook for FY27 excludes the effects of the TalkTalk acquisition. This is company guidance, not a guaranteed result.

TalkTalk review remains pending

The update says BT acquired TalkTalk out of administration on October 5 to protect service continuity for 2.5 million UK customers. The regulatory review remains pending. The acquisition is an earlier event, not a deal first announced today.

BT plans to explain the acquisition’s financial effects after accounting alignment and completion of the review. Today’s results presentation is scheduled for 10:00 UK time, also 10:00 UTC; the official results page links the webcast.