It’s now just two years until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and BT has been involved since 2004 when we backed the bid for London to host the Games.  It seems like only yesterday that we saw the jubilant scenes in Trafalgar Square when the bid was successful, but that was five years ago now - it just shows how quickly the next two years will pass.

As the official communications services partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, BT is at the heart of the preparations. As well as providing the critical communications services for the Games, we want to tell the stories of the people and places behind the Games.

Last week saw the opening of our ‘Road to 2012: Setting Out’ exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  This first instalment includes stunning portraits from two world-class photographers - Brian Griffin and Bettina van Zwehl. The portraits show key figures who helped London win the bid to host the Games, and those involved in the development of the Olympic Park, as well as young athletes who are striving for success at the Games.

‘Road to 2012: Setting Out’ also includes  a portrait of Ray Haggan, an inspirational 70-year-old swimming coach from North London who won BT’s Road to 2012 competition. We asked members of the public to nominate everyday people making a difference to, or inspired by, the Games. Ray is the perfect example of the story we want to tell over the next two years - he’s a real unsung hero, who selflessly gives his time to support grass-roots swimming.

This morning, London’s favourite breakfast show, Magic FM, broadcast live from the top of the BT Tower.  BT Ambassadors Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee, fresh from the ITU World Championship in Hyde Park, were on the show along with Paralympian Ade Adepitan. We also heard from Sebastian Coe, who spoke live from the Olympic Park.

We will continue to work with our team of sporting Ambassadors over the next two years to create a buzz around London 2012. We are very proud of our Ambassadors and the contribution they make to BT, to their sports and to the country. 

We’re also encouraging our 100,000 employees to get involved by becoming volunteers.  We already have a strong culture of volunteering at BT, and we want everyone within the business to have the chance to put their skills to good use in the build up to the Games.

And to take the Games outside of London we’re putting Olympic and Paralympic athletes and essential London 2012 information into every new BT Phone Book that’s distributed across the UK. Last week saw the start of the roll out, featuring Ade Adepitan on the front cover, and soon all 44 million BT Phone Books will feature local athletes.  We’re hopeful that this will inspire people across the UK to support their local athletes and get behind London 2012. 



We also wish BT Ambassador Oscar Pistorius the best of luck this August when he competes in the able-bodied 400 metres at Crystal Palace. He’s getting closer to achieving his dream of competing at both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would be a fantastic achievement for one of the most inspiring athletes on the world stage.

Behind the scenes, BT has been working to ensure the delivery of the communications services infrastructure that will bring the Games to a worldwide audience of billions.  We recently signed a deal with Olympic Broadcasting Services London Ltd (OBSL), to deliver the broadcast and media network for the London 2012 Games. 

This new partnership further enhances BT’s role in providing the vital communications services and expertise that will underpin the greatest sporting event in the world. BT’s fibre based network will carry broadcast signals from and between the majority of venues to OBSL’s broadcast centre, for onward transmission to broadcasters across the world. This will enable billions of people across the globe to watch the Games in High Definition (HD).

We’re very excited about our journey over the next two years, and hope to share that excitement with the wider public through our activity. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games present a unique opportunity to host a truly global event that will reap benefits long after the closing ceremony, and BT is delighted to be at the heart of the action.

Suzi Williams is BT Group marketing and brand director. BT is the official communications services partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and title sponsor of the BT Paralympic World Cup. For more information click here