DUBLIN, Ireland-Barely a week after its parent company British Telecommunications (BT) revealed plans to re-enter the U.K. consumer mobile market, there are indications that Ireland’s number-two telecommunications provider Esat BT is considering a similar strategy.
There have been rumors circulating in the Irish business community for some time that the company is going to pull out of the consumer telecom market altogether to focus on corporate customers as part of efforts to increase profitability.
However, these rumors have been denied by several senior figures in Esat BT during the past few weeks, most recently by BT Ignite Chief Executive Andy Green who said he had “no hesitation” in reaffirming the company’s commitment to the consumer market.
Green underlined his comments by adding that moving into mobile services is “definitely an option” and could be done relatively easily and without massive exposure by entering a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) arrangement with O2 Ireland, which was previously part of the Esat Group.
