BT has successfully defended itself in a £1.3 billion ($1.6bn) class action lawsuit that alleged the telco overcharged millions of customers for fixed telephone lines. The case, which lasted for eight weeks and began in January, accused BT of around 3.7 million landline customers.
The case against BT was led by former Ofcom official Justin Le Patourel, who alleged BT took advantage of a dominant market position to charge “excessive” prices for landline customers, many of them elderly. Le Patourel's case against BT dated back to the period between 2009 and 2017, where the claimants alleged BT unfairly charged customers who took a standalone fixed voice (SFV) connection during this period before British telecoms regulator Ofcom stepped in.
“While I am pleased that the tribunal has recognized BT’s dominant position in the market, and the significant and persistent nature of its excessive pricing, I am disappointed that it did not agree that these prices were unfair,” said Le Patourel, who is considering a possible appeal.
