On 26 January 2021, the CAT published an application to commence a collective proceedings order against BT for charging excessive prices to customers supplied with certain residential landline services. The claim arises from a review of the market for standalone landline telephone services conducted by Ofcom in 2017. Ofcom found that BT charged prices above the competitive level to customers who bought standalone residential landline telephone services (voice only customers).

The proposed class includes all persons domiciled in the UK (except in the Hull Area, which has a separate network) who, during the Claim Period, bought a BT Standalone Fixed Voice Service (BT SFV Service), excluding BT Basic and BT Home Phone Saver (Excluded Services). The class is further split into two sub-classes:

• BT Voice Only Customers: Members of the class who bought a BT SFV Service but did not, at the same time, buy a broadband service, either from BT or any other provider; and
• BT Split Purchase Customers: Members of the class who bought at the same time both (i) a BT SFV Service; and (ii) a broadband service, either from BT or any other provider.