BT, one of the largest telecom giants in the UK, brought in some good news. They were able to collect £105 million by selling old copper cables from an older network. This is a big event as there has never been a sale like this before. Let’s have a closer look at what it means to BT and how they are working to bring better and faster internet for millions of homes.

The Big Plan: Old Out, New In
BT is to upgrade its network into something called full-fibre broadband. It’s much like switching from an old rusty car to a shiny new sports car. It’s one of the country’s biggest private projects, and the company’s committing £15 billion to it. Their aim would be to bring in super-fast internet to 25 million homes by end-2026. They have already reached over 15 million homes as well!

The change is spearheaded by the chief executive of BT, which Allison Kirkby is, and the company is a company that, under her leadership, goes beyond ensuring that internet is faster but ensures that it recycles materials carefully.

This is not only an important step to becoming environmentally friendly but contributes to having a healthy planet.

The Special Recycling Contract
Now, let’s discuss that £105m. BT have earned this due to a tie-up with a recycling company; they will sell the copper granules, made from the old cables they are removing. Well, this isn’t any deal; it’s the first-of-its-type deal! They have already extracted 3,300 tonnes of copper, and that’s only the beginning. It is estimated by BT that they would be able to extract as much as 200,000 tonnes of copper in the coming years.

It is indeed valuable. It is used in a lot of applications: electrical wires, motors, and even for generating power from the wind turbine. In fact, at current prices, that 200 000 tonnes of copper could be worth around £1.5 billion! That’s a fair amount of money, and this does help point out just how valuable recycling can be.

Keeping Up with the Competition
BT’s efforts would have to be monumental, more so compared to other countries. Clive Selley is the chief executive of Openreach, the part of BT which handles the broadband network. He said if the rules and investments nurture their growth, they are certain that BT can cover 30 million homes by the year 2030. That’s important because the Scandinavian countries are already advanced in building better telecom infrastructure.

It is a very competitive telecoms environment, and BT cannot afford to freeze in the dark. Upgrading its network, even recycling pennies, has put it in an extremely strong position.

A Glimpse into the Future
Copper recycling in the near future certainly seems pretty bright after all. BT has, along with a bank, tied up with a global recycler called EMR to extract and recycle copper cables till 2028. As BT continues to replace their old copper network by fiber, it can continue to make money while helping the environment too.

It is worthy of note that although BT is extremely enthusiastic over all the revenues that are coming to be established through copper recycling, they haven’t been able yet to specify exactly what they would gain in terms of money from copper, yet. Yet, it is still in the early stages and they are emphasizing how important it is to make this project a success.

Why Copper Matters
You might ask, why the fuss about copper? It’s a material used in most technological applications in modern days. For instance, there is a vital role that copper plays in the data center helping to store and manage gigantic amounts of information we use daily. The same goes for electrical equipment, which run our homes and businesses.

According to a 2022 study by S&P Global, copper is integral to our future plans of energy. With more electric cars on the road and demand for renewable energy, there is a need for copper. They project that the demand for copper will double by 2035 from what it is currently today.

BT’s Commitment to Sustainability
One of the strongest BT commitments is regarding sustainability. As BT replaces its old copper networks with fiber, it should ensure it recovers and reuses the amount of materials such as copper. This in turn reduces waste and minimizes harm to the environment.

Not only does this help BT make money, but it also saves the valuable resources which it uses. It is being a guiding example for mending business with responsibility towards the earth.

What’s Next for BT?
And as BT continues to progress, they will work so hard to come up with better internet for everyone. BT would want every house in the UK to enjoy access to fast and reliable broadband. This could enable families to stay in close touch and support businesses to grow and thrive.

This makes BT serious about investing in the future, with constant rollout of full-fibre broadband. That £105 million they received from the copper deal is peanuts compared to what they could do. Until 2030, they can reach many more houses and impact the telecom space significantly.