BT and Verizon’s JV for multinational connectivity is a positive step but may not be enough

On 29 June 2026, BT International and Verizon announced an agreement to combine their respective international operations in a 50:50 joint venture (JV), creating a new company focused on multinational connectivity.

The tie-up gives BT’s Global Fabric network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform valuable extra scale and allows both operators to distance themselves from a difficult global connectivity market. What is much less clear is whether the JV will deliver sustainable revenue growth, or just slow the decline of these connectivity businesses.