Podcast with Steve Allcock, Customer Solution CTO, BT Group

Enterprise Connect 2025 – Orlando

“We’re reaching a point where the network is now the computer,” said Steve Allcock, Customer Solution CTO at BT Group, in a revealing podcast recorded live at Enterprise Connect 2025. Speaking with Doug Green of Technology Reseller News, Allcock explained how BT’s new Global Fabric platform is redefining how enterprises, carriers, and cloud players build, scale, and secure their digital operations.

From Infrastructure to Intelligence

BT’s Global Fabric—a global, software-defined, as-a-service network architecture—has quietly gone live, already spanning the majority of the world’s cloud-native facilities. Built over the past two years with significant investment, Global Fabric connects cities and sites worldwide in minutes with 100Gbps pipes, delivering agility, automation, and orchestration at unprecedented scale.

“In a time when many telecoms are scaling back, we’re doubling down on innovation,” said Allcock. “This is the foundation for growth—not just for BT, but for any enterprise with global ambitions.”

Designed for the AI Era

Global Fabric isn’t just about high-speed links. It’s been purpose-built for AI. “Our customers need infrastructure that can support the power, responsiveness, and regulatory complexities of AI deployments,” Allcock emphasized.

He explained how the explosive growth of large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and inference at the edge is putting extraordinary strain on networks and data centers—prompting unprecedented CapEx from hyperscalers. In fact, some global firms are tearing down newly built data centers just to rebuild them with liquid cooling to meet AI’s intense power demands.

CPaaS, Agentic AI, and Global Reach

Allcock also spotlighted BT’s work with the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance and global collaboration platforms like RingCentral and Zoom. By partnering with CPaaS innovators and offering BT’s network APIs to intelligent agents and AI workflows, BT is paving the way for a more automated, AI-aware communications landscape.

“We’re entering the era of the human user interface—where instead of clicking, you just tell the system what you want,” said Allcock. “BT’s Global Fabric is ready for that world.”

Want to Learn More?

Visit bt.com/globalfabric or contact [email protected] to explore how Global Fabric can future-proof your AI and connectivity strategies.