BT agrees rescue deal to buy broadband operator TalkTalk

Image source, Getty ImagesPublished5 October 2026, 07:37 BSTUpdated 4 minutes agoThe UK's biggest broadband provider, BT, has agreed to rescue rival operator TalkTalk in a takeover.

The deal, which will need to be approved by the UK's competition regulator, would mark end of months of speculation over the future for TalkTalk, which has been on the brink of administration because of its debts.

TalkTalk has 1.5 million retail customers and one million wholesale customers across the UK.

BT chief executive Alison Kirkby said the deal provided "a safety net for the households and businesses who rely on TalkTalk".

"TalkTalk's customers will benefit from access to the UK's best network, and the full range of market-leading products and services that BT offers," she added.