Vodafone says it would invest if BT's broadband arm becomes separate firm

Company joins calls for BT and Openreach to be split to share fibre-optic cables between providers as Ofcom reviews broadband market

Vodafone has fuelled the debate about the future of BT, saying it would be prepared to become a shareholder in any new company owning the UK's largest telephone and broadband network.

Rivals are calling for BT to be split in two, with its Openreach division, which builds and maintains its network of copper and fibre-optic cables, spun into a separate company. Telecoms watchdog Ofcom is considering the idea in its first strategic review of the broadband market for a decade.