WIRES has sent its submission to the Competition and Markets Authority's inquiry into BT's purchase of TalkTalk, asking that any approval protects prices, guarantees access to a social tariff and recognises the greater effect in rural Scotland. The full text is here. Comments closed on 9 October; the CMA reports by 19 October.
On 6 October 2026, WIRES sent a submission to the Competition and Markets Authority's inquiry into BT's purchase of TalkTalk. The CMA took comments until Friday 9 October and must report to the Culture Secretary by 19 October. The CMA confirmed receipt the same day and said it will consider our comments as part of its investigation.
We said that keeping 2.5 million customers connected was better than letting TalkTalk fail, and asked that any clearance comes with conditions. Our five points:
Dear CMA BT / TalkTalk inquiry team, I am writing on behalf of WIRES (Web Infrastructure Rights for Everyone in Scotland), a volunteer-led campaign for affordable, reliable connectivity in Scotland. This representation covers both the competition question and the public interest ground concerning customers who are or may be vulnerable. We accept that keeping 2.5 million customers connected was better than letting TalkTalk fail. Our concern is what the transaction does to prices and choice for low-income households afterwards. We ask the CMA to reflect the following points in its report and advice to the Secretary of State, and that any clearance is subject to conditions addressing them. 1. Protect existing TalkTalk customers on price TalkTalk has competed largely on price. Its customers include many households for whom a few pounds a month decides whether they stay online. Ofcom's advice to TalkTalk customers on 5 October says: "There will be no change to your price, contract or how you access billing." It goes on: "If anything changes in future, BT will contact affected customers directly and provide clear notice and support." That is an assurance with no end date, and it leaves future changes open. We ask that the protection on price and contract terms is made a condition of any clearance, for a defined period. We also ask that customers are not moved to dearer BT Group tariffs without a clear choice, and that any customer who is moved can leave without exit fees. 2. Guarantee access to a social tariff TalkTalk does not offer a social tariff: it is absent from Ofcom's published list. Its low-income customers can only get one by switching provider, which can mean paying to leave their contract. Ofcom's own research finds that fewer than one in ten eligible households take a social tariff, and around seven in ten are unaware they exist. BT offers one. TalkTalk customers on qualifying benefits should be told about it directly and able to move to it without penalty. 3. Weigh the loss of a low-cost competitor BT Group already owns BT, EE and Plusnet, and Openreach, the network most other retailers depend on. We ask the CMA to examine the effect on the budget end of the market specifically, and on the smaller providers supplied through PlatformX, whose wholesale terms now sit with the group they compete against. 4. Recognise that the effect is greater in rural Scotland In the areas Ofcom classes as "Area 3", competing networks are unlikely to be viable, so the main competition consumers have is between retailers on Openreach's lines. Consumer Scotland's analysis is that more than 30% of Scottish postcodes fall into Area 3, against 18% across the UK. Removing an independent retailer matters most where there is no other network to turn to. 5. Protect vulnerable customers through any migration This goes to the heart of the public interest ground on supply to vulnerable customers. No customer who relies on a landline, telecare alarm or text relay should be migrated without direct contact and support. We would be glad to provide anything further that would help. Yours faithfully, William Ellis WIRES — Web Infrastructure Rights for Everyone in Scotland hello@wires.org.uk https://wires.org.uk
Comments closed on 9 October. The CMA must report to the Culture Secretary by 5pm on Monday 19 October, and she will then decide whether the deal goes to a fuller, phase 2 investigation. We will report the outcome. Our earlier article explains the deal.
The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, worth up to £5,000 towards a faster connection, closes to new applications on 20 November 2026. In Aberdeenshire alone, 2,089 premises are still eligible and have not used it.
We read the published digital strategies of Scotland's 32 councils. Of the 24 we could verify, only Glasgow has a standalone strategy on digital exclusion. In 22, it is a theme inside a plan about the council's own services. Eight we couldn't confirm.
BT has acquired TalkTalk's broadband and wholesale businesses out of administration, keeping 2.5 million customers connected. It also leaves one company owning BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk and Openreach. Comments to the competition regulator closed on 9 October; it reports to the Culture Secretary by 19 October.
Join the mailing list for campaign updates, event notices, and new articles.
