BT launches sovereign platform to support UK digital sovereignty

BT has unveiled a new UK sovereign platform that will host a range of voice, cloud and AI services designed to keep data, systems and management inside the country. Built on BT’s domestic infrastructure and experience handling sensitive data, the platform will roll out new sovereign offerings over the coming months and add sovereign options to many existing BT Business products in the first half of 2026, giving organisations more choice over how tightly they control where their data sits and who manages it.

BT says the platform will be run solely by UK-based staff and is aimed at customers who want stronger resilience and compliance amid geopolitical tension and shifting rules on data and AI. The move aligns with the UK government’s AI strategy, which focuses on national growth through AI and data centre investment and on securing long-term AI sovereignty. BT is a founding member of the UK Sovereign AI Industry Forum and a partner on the government’s AI skills programme. The launch also comes as the government highlights growing cyber threats; Security Minister Dan Jarvis this week credited BT and the NCSC with blocking access to fraudulent websites through a new early-stage cyberattack detection tool for ISPs.