BT agrees rescue deal to buy broadband operator TalkTalk
BT Group has agreed a rescue deal to buy TalkTalk, with the takeover now awaiting approval from the Competition and Markets Authority.
By BBC News
BT Group has agreed a rescue deal to buy TalkTalk, with the takeover now awaiting approval from the Competition and Markets Authority. The agreement is intended to keep services running for TalkTalk’s millions of customers and avert a collapse of the broadband operator.
The BBC report says TalkTalk has been bought out of administration by BT, which is the UK’s biggest broadband provider. The deal also covers TalkTalk’s wholesale arm, PlatformX Communications, and was announced on Monday, October 5, 2026.
BT has said the transaction is expected to cost around £400 million. That figure includes the purchase from administration, associated fees, TalkTalk’s forecast £60 million loss for the year, and BT taking on roughly £100 million that TalkTalk owes to Openreach.
The report says the takeover must still be cleared by the regulator. The CMA will examine the deal, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has the power to make a final decision on public interest grounds once the competition review has been completed.
TalkTalk’s customer base is a key part of the rescue. BT said the move would protect continuity of service for 2.5 million customers and avoid potential harm to vulnerable customers and emergency services.
The sale also affects jobs. Reporting cited administrators as saying around 900 employees across TalkTalk’s consumer and broadband business, and PlatformX Communications, would transfer to BT as part of the deal.
BT and TalkTalk will continue to operate separately while the regulatory review takes place.