Ministers should prevent BT from acquiring TalkTalk’s wholesale division PXC, rival bidder Tom O'Hagan has warned, arguing the deal could restore near-total dominance in the UK broadband wholesale market. BT entered the auction at the last minute as TalkTalk seeks a buyer while carrying £1.4bn in debt. O'Hagan, a former PXC chief executive and current head of EntaNet, is bidding for PXC with private equity firm Epiris, which wants £100m of debt owed to BT’s Openreach division written off. TalkTalk’s lenders, including Ares Management, are considering legal action, while rivals have warned of competition-law risks and a lengthy legal dispute. The government is also weighing customer disruption and national-security concerns because around 250,000 vulnerable households and systems supporting defence depend partly on TalkTalk services. BT chief executive Allison Kirkby has sought assurances from Whitehall officials that any competition review would not be prolonged. O'Hagan argues that the government can protect critical connectivity through legislation while allowing the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK competition regulator, to assess the transaction normally.