Two weeks after the rumors that British Telecommunications Plc was to be taken over by Microsoft Corp (CI No 3,333), BT has still not revealed what the talks that caused the speculation were about. It was characteristically silent to the press about the news that it had joined the Microsoft-sponsored working ADSL group, which Computergram highlighted as a possibility (CI No 3,333). Now that Gates has officially denied any takeover talks, British Telecom will not confirm that this is what the two companies were up to. Speculation suggests a venture where Microsoft gets its software into British Interactive Broadcasting Ltd, the UK digital satellite consortium of British Telecommunications Plc, British Sky Broadcasting Plc, Midland Bank Plc and Matsushita.
