Concert unwind

BT Group PLC
2 April 2002



April 2, 2002

                         BT COMPLETES UNWIND OF CONCERT

BT today confirmed that it has completed the unwinding of Concert, its
international joint venture with AT&T, and the termination of their Canadian
joint venture in relation to AT&T Canada.

As a result of the unwinding of the joint venture, all Concert's businesses,
customers and networks have now been returned to their relevant parent company.
BT and AT&T have entered into commercial inter-working agreements in order to
honour commitments to customers using existing services.

Tim Smart, former COO of Concert and now President of BT Ignite Global Business,
said: "Ever since we announced our intention to unwind the joint venture last
October, our primary objective has been to ensure that our customers continue to
enjoy the service that they have come to expect. With the return of former
Concert employees, BT now has over 9000 experienced people in 29 countries
outside the UK and is well positioned to deliver market leading account
management and customer service to multinational customers."

"In addition, the integration of the Concert global network with BT's extensive
pan-European network enables us to provide customers with IP VPN, Internet and
broadband connectivity in all the key commercial centres in Europe, North
America and Asia.

     "Combining the Concert and BT Ignite product & service portfolios will
deliver an even broader set of capabilities attuned to the needs of
international business customers today - ranging from managed voice and data
services, IP-based eBusiness solutions, consultancy, and outsourcing to systems
integration for complex global requirements. In our core European markets,
customers will benefit from a simplified, cohesive set of domestic and
international services, with a single pricing structure and consistent levels of
service."


Notes to Editors:


  • Plans for the Concert joint venture were first announced in July 1998.
    After receiving all regulatory approvals, Concert began trading in January,
    2000.

  • The agreement to unwind Concert and to exit the Canadian joint venture was
    announced on October 16, 2001. All of the appropriate regulatory clearances
    for the unwind of Concert have now been received.

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