BT Infonet to Sponsor Volkswagen's FIA Cross Country World Cup and Dakar Rally Team

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--Jan. 4, 2006--BT Infonet, a leading provider of managed network communications services for multinational entities, today announced its sponsorship of the Volkswagen Motorsport team in the 2006 Dakar Rally, one of the world's toughest motor sport events.

The Dakar Rally is an annual professional off-road endurance race in which more than 400 drivers compete in a 15-day, 9,043-kilometer race across seven countries.

This year, Volkswagen is making its biggest effort yet to become the first manufacturer to win with a diesel-powered vehicle. It has assembled a driving squad of unrivalled experience and talent, led by double World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz and featuring newly crowned FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup Champion Bruno Saby and also the first and only woman to win the Dakar Rally, Jutta Kleinschmid.

As part of the sponsorship, BT Infonet logos are being displayed on all five Volkswagen Race Touareg 2's competing in the Dakar Rally. The sponsorship also covers upcoming FIA Cross Country Rally competitions such as Rally Morocco and Egypt Rally.

"We are delighted to have BT Infonet's partnership during this exciting race," said Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. "Our team is lining up with five driver-teams, the largest squad so far, including drivers from Germany, South Africa, Sweden and the US. With their talent and skills, we believe our team will bring us to victory this year."

"The Dakar Rally is a grueling sporting competition fought at the very highest levels. Similar to our business, success in Rally driving is dependent on each team's execution of technology and teamwork," said Jose A. Collazo, Chief Executive Officer of BT Infonet. "We're proud to be sponsoring the Volkswagen Works team and wish them the best of luck in the 2006 FIA Rally events."

"Our business relationship with Volkswagen over the past few years has been a successful one. We're very excited to be a part of this event and look forward to extending that success to this endeavor as well," said Micheline Wens, General Manager of BT Infonet Germany.

The Volkswagen Motorsport website www.volkswagen-motorsport.com offers detailed material about the Volkswagen Dakar Team 2006. The latest news on Dakar 2006 is also available via www.dakar.com.

About BT Infonet

BT Infonet is a leading provider of managed network communications services for multinational entities, fully owned by BT Group and part of BT Global Services. BT Infonet offers integrated solutions optimizing the complex relationship between enterprise applications and the global network. BT Infonet provides local service support in over 70 countries and territories and its network is accessible from more than 180 countries.

Additional information about BT Infonet is available at www.bt.infonet.com.

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions serving customers in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services.

BT consists principally of three lines of business:

-- BT Retail, providing a comprehensive range of communications and related services to more than 20 million UK consumers and businesses.

-- BT Wholesale, providing network services and solutions within the UK to more than 600 fixed and mobile operators and service providers including the provision of broadband and private circuits.

-- BT Global Services, providing networked IT services to meet the needs of multi-site organizations globally. BT Global Services operates in more than 130 countries and also offers international carrier services.

In January 2006, there will be a fourth business called openreach. This business will be responsible for the nationwide local BT network which covers the "first mile" of wires that connects homes and businesses across the UK to their service providers. openreach will provide communications providers with services and products associated with that network.

In the year ended 31 March 2005, BT Group's turnover was GBP 18,623 million with profit before taxation of GBP 2,354 million.

BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt