The company continues to strengthen its cooperation with operators like France Telecom and MTN Group.

ENGADGET: ZTE announces 2011 financials: turnover up, profits down, political scandals tricky

Deutsche Telecom ( DT) is paying 9.1%, Telecom Italia ( TI) 5.4%, France Telecom ( FTE) 11.1% and Vodaphone Group ( VOD) a 7.9% dividend.

FORBES: Parlez-Vous 11% Yield

For Telefonica of Spain and France Telecom , that means more regulatory headaches, but for BT Group, which sold its cellphone division to its Spanish rival in 2005, being a purely fixed line operator suddenly seems much more attractive.

FORBES: BT Stands Out