Telecoms firm BT Ireland said revenues during the second quarter were “broadly flat despite the challenging economic environment” . Its parent, BT Group, posted a 2 per cent drop in revenue to £4.89 billion (€5.67 billion) and a 3 per cent increase in core earnings to £1.5 billion.

In an operational update, it said its fibre roll-out in Northern Ireland had now reached about three-quarters coverage with almost 600,000 premises passed, and Derry had become the first city in the UK to have all cabinets upgraded to fibre.