BSkyB ponders mobile phones move

SATELLITE broadcaster BSkyB is understood to be considering a move on Britain’s mobile phone market.

The FTSE 100 company has discussed buying up a portion of the airwaves put up for sale by Everything Everywhere, the owner of mobile networks Orange and T-Mobile, according to a newspaper report. The spectrum could be used to launch superfast 4G networks.

The move would see BSkyB add mobile phone to its television, internet and land-line phone package and would strengthen its position in the face of new competition from the likes of Lovefilm and Netflix.

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BSkyB, which is 39 per cent owned by News Corporation, reported a five per cent increase in revenues in the nine months to March 31 to £5.1bn and a 17 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £853m.

The phone-hacking scandal at News International scuppered News Corp’s plans to take full control of BSkyB and ultimately led to Rupert Murdoch’s son, James, stepping down as chairman of the broadcaster.

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