The world's oldest communication company has reinvented itself into a 21st century telephone, broadband and digital TV provider.

BT can trace its origins to 1846 and the Electric Telegraph Company.

From 1896 - 1981, the Post Office was in charge of telephony. The British Telecommunications Act of 1981 made British Telecom a separate public corporation. In 1984, it was privatised, coming full circle to the early days of commercial telegraph services.

With such a long history, it's not surprising that BT is the current leader in home telephone provision. In addition to dominating the field within the UK, the company operates in more than 170 countries around the world.

In 2006, BT launched its Total Broadband service, along with its unique Home Hub wireless router. This gave customers the option of getting broadband from a familiar and trusted supplier. BT Vision was launched later that year, making BT a triple-play communications provider.

In addition, BT Openzone allows BT customers to go online in cafes, pubs, airports and other locations. You can join the BT Fon network by agreeing to share your connection with others. In return, you get to use other member's Wi-Fi when you're away from home.