BT EE shifts strategy to boost business mobile growth through wholesale channel with Giacom

BT EE has announced a strategic move to sell its business mobile services via the UK wholesale channel by partnering with Giacom, marking a significant shift from its traditional direct-sales approach amidst industry consolidation and market convergence with cloud services.

BT-owned EE has moved to sell its business mobile services through the UK wholesale channel by striking a distribution arrangement with Giacom, signalling a strategic shift from its long-standing direct-sales focus. Industry observers say the change comes as channel partners play an increasing role in combining connectivity with wider IT and cloud services, a trend accelerated by recent consolidation in the sector. According to reporting, the transaction aligns with wider market convergence between telecoms and cloud distribution. (Sources: ^[2],^[3])

Speaking at Giacom’s Connect Live event in London, Sam Johnson, Indirect Channel Partner Manager at BT EE, framed the decision as a response to evolving buyer expectations, saying: “For a long time, EE perhaps didn’t see this, and we weren’t present within the wholesale channel. We saw the best route to scale and to end customers as direct.” He told delegates the move reflects a belief that indirect partners are now essential to future growth. (Sources: ^[2])

Johnson argued partners are closer to customers’ operational challenges and better placed to bundle connectivity with complementary services, adding: “They want it to be secure, fast and reliable and tailored to them – and that’s where you come in.” He also described the channel as a “hidden superpower” and acknowledged EE’s prior absence from wholesale. (Sources: ^[2],^[6])

Giacom brings scale and channel reach to the deal. The company says its platform supports thousands of partners and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, and was recently acquired by Digital Wholesale Solutions, a move positioned to deepen integration between cloud, connectivity and channel distribution. Giacom’s recent industry recognition as a leading wholesaler and mobile partner underscores its prominence in the reseller market. (Sources: ^[3],^[4],^[5],^[6])

EE and Giacom have emphasised that the new route-to-market will prioritise automation and simpler partner experience to remove friction and enable volume sales. Johnson acknowledged the internal adjustments required at BT and described the collaboration as “partner-led”, crediting Giacom as a technology collaborator in reworking operational processes so the offering can be sold at scale. (Sources: ^[2],^[7])

From a market perspective, EE frames the move as an attempt to recover ground lost to rival networks within the business mobile segment by combining its network capabilities with Giacom’s channel distribution and tools for partner enablement. Industry data and recent consolidation suggest distributors that can join mobile, cloud, hardware and billing into single platforms are increasingly influential in where business connectivity contracts are won. (Sources: ^[2],^[3])

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Source: Fuse Wire Services