In a bid to significantly enhance its customer offering, BT is making a range of new solutions available for customers via its sovereign platform.
The platform has been built on BT’s unique capabilities in UK-based systems, infrastructure and sensitive customer data management, with the telco rolling out new sovereign voice, cloud and AI services over the coming months.
Additionally, the new platform will enable BT’s Business unit to make a range of its existing products and services available with a sovereign option in the first half of 2026, the company said. This should enable customers to choose the level of sovereignty they need for their organisation.
“Sovereignty isn’t simply a matter of compliance or risk management – it’s key to unleashing the potential of AI and ensuring resilient operations in an increasingly uncertain world,” said Jon James, CEO of BT Business. “Our pioneering launch reflects BT’s unique position as the digital backbone of the UK and the only provider with the scale, capabilities and experience to enable true UK sovereign solutions.”
Digital sovereignty is becoming more of a priority for organisations, regardless of size, as they look to enhance their resilience amid geopolitical instability. It can also help businesses ensure that adopting new technologies and digital infrastructure is future-proofed against any developments outside of the UK.
The platform will be managed exclusively by UK-based BT staff. With network infrastructure at its centre, BT has a strong background in delivering secure sovereign services to critical public and private sector organisations.
When it comes to digital sovereignty, the UK government’s AI strategy includes boosting national growth through AI and data centre investment, in addition to securing future UK AI sovereignty. BT said it is committed to supporting this strategy, both as a founding member of the UK Sovereign AI Industry Forum and partner on the UK government’s AI skills development programme – while also providing the future-ready digital infrastructure key to connecting and powering these technologies.
James added: “Organisations are increasingly looking for sovereignty in their services and it’s up to us to make sure we deliver for our customers. That means making sure we’re offering the right sovereign solutions that ensure data and operations remain secure, compliant, resilient and future-proofed.”
The announcement comes the day after UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis spoke at the FT LIVE Cyber Resilience Summit in London, where he announced the government and NCSC had been collaborating on a protective tool that shares data on early stage cyberattacks with internet service providers (ISPs), including BT.
“That door has been slammed shut on the criminals … all thanks to BT and NCSC blocking access to fraudulent websites,” the security minister explained yesterday.
“This work only demonstrates the constant threat we are all under, which means the government must continue to strengthen our defences to protect people.”
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