The telecoms landscape in 2026
The UK telecoms industry is dominated by: BT Group (comprising EE (mobile), Openreach (wholesale fixed infrastructure), and BT Consumer and Business), Vodafone UK, Three UK (merging with Vodafone UK pending regulatory approval), O2 (part of Virgin Media O2, which also includes broadband and TV), Sky (broadband and pay TV, now owned by Comcast), and Virgin Media O2. Openreach, as a regulated wholesale provider, is a distinct business unit that provides access infrastructure (the "last mile" of fixed broadband) to BT's retail divisions and to competitors including Sky, Vodafone, and TalkTalk. The industry in 2026 is defined by: 5G rollout and the push to standalone 5G (SA 5G, with network slicing and lower latency), full-fibre broadband rollout (FTTP — Fibre to the Premises replacing FTTC/copper), the Huawei equipment removal programme, and significant consolidation (Three/Vodafone merger, TalkTalk private equity ownership).
Technical questions for telecoms roles
"What is the difference between 4G and 5G?" 5G NR (New Radio) vs 4G LTE: 5G offers significantly higher theoretical peak speeds (up to 10Gbps vs ~1Gbps for 4G), much lower latency (1ms vs ~10ms), higher connection density (critical for IoT use cases), and network slicing (the ability to create virtual dedicated networks within the physical 5G infrastructure for specific use cases like healthcare or smart factories). In practice, the 5G experience for most consumers in 2026 is faster mobile broadband on sub-6GHz spectrum rather than the transformative mmWave use cases promised early in 5G's development. "What is the difference between FTTC and FTTP?" FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet): fibre runs from the exchange to the street cabinet, then copper (VDSL) runs from the cabinet to the premises — typically delivers 30-80Mbps. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises): fibre runs all the way to the premises — delivers symmetrical speeds from 100Mbps to 1Gbps or more with no copper degradation. Openreach is rolling out FTTP across the UK; speed and progress of this rollout is a major regulatory and commercial issue.
Commercial and business questions
"How do mobile operators generate revenue and what are the main pressures on that revenue?" Revenue streams: service revenue (monthly subscription fees for data, calls, and texts), device revenue (handset sales — often low margin), roaming revenue (declining with the end of EU roaming charges post-Brexit for some operators), and B2B services (IoT connectivity, fixed mobile convergence for enterprise). Pressures: customer churn in a commoditised market (operators compete on price more than differentiation), ARPU decline (average revenue per user has fallen as unlimited data plans standardise), significant capex requirements (5G build and fibre investment), and the Huawei equipment removal programme creating unexpected infrastructure costs. "What is convergence in telecoms and why does it matter commercially?" Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC): offering both fixed broadband and mobile services to the same customer. Commercially: reduces churn (customers with multiple services are less likely to leave), increases ARPU, and creates cross-selling opportunities. Virgin Media O2 is the clearest UK example of this strategy.
Behavioral questions for telecoms roles
"The telecoms industry has a reputation for slow decision-making compared to tech companies. How do you maintain pace in a large organisation?" Large telecoms operators are legacy-burdened organisations with complex network infrastructure, regulatory constraints, and large legacy IT stacks. Show you can navigate complexity: coalition-building, clear escalation paths for blockers, protecting team autonomy within a structured environment. "Tell me about a time you had to manage a customer-facing service failure." Network outages and service disruptions are operational realities in telecoms. Show incident management experience: rapid escalation, clear internal communication, transparent customer communication, and systematic post-incident review.