Verizon and BT Group have announced their plans to merge their international enterprise fixed-line operations into a new joint venture. This collaboration is projected to be finalized in 2027, pending regulatory approval. Both companies describe the new entity as "designed for a cloud-first world in the age of AI," although the specifics of this focus remain somewhat vague.
This new venture will operate as a 50-50 partnership, catering to over 3,000 multinational organizations across more than 180 countries. As part of the agreement, Verizon will pay BT an equalization amount of $625 million to ensure equal voting rights within the joint venture.
The merger of BT and Verizon's international enterprise fixed-line operations aims to deliver "significant scale efficiencies across the combined global network and service operations." The partners intend to leverage the infrastructure of the new venture to address local compliance and sovereignty requirements while accelerating the deployment of next-generation connectivity platforms.
Martijn Blanken, a veteran executive with experience at Telstra and KPN, will assume the role of CEO for the new company. He is scheduled to join BT on September 1 to prepare for the transaction. This agreement puts an end to years of speculation regarding the future of BT International. BT CEO Allison Kirkby mentioned in 2024 that the company might consider selling the unit as part of cost-cutting measures. Last year, BT International was structured into a separate business unit, likely in anticipation of such a deal.
