BT’s broadband division, Openreach, is on a mission to shift all customers from the old public switched telephone network (PSTN) to digital services, and they’ve just hit a major milestone. They revealed plans to stop selling traditional copper-based phone and broadband services at 163 new exchange locations across the UK, impacting over 960,000 homes. This move pushes people to transition to full-fibre connections.
The program started back in 2019 with the idea of encouraging everyone to embrace ultrafast digital services. Openreach believes that maintaining the old copper networks is becoming a challenge, as services like voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing gain popularity. By phasing out analogue phone lines, they aim to streamline the network for a digital society.
Openreach compares the significance of switching from copper to fibre to the shift from analogue to digital television or from black and white to color. This transition kicks off when 75% of the homes connected to a specific exchange can access full-fibre. Customers looking to upgrade their broadband or phone services will have to opt for the new digital services. However, those still on copper won’t be affected until full-fibre becomes available at their location.
BT plans to convert over 14 million outdated lines across the UK to digital services. They are testing processes for migrating customers and phasing out legacy copper services. No new analog wholesale line rental products will be sold, giving providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone a year’s notice before these services are completely retired.
In a recent update, BT pushed the deadline for the PSTN switch-off from the end of 2025 to January 2027. They aimed for this change to better support vulnerable customers and ensure a smoother transition for everyone, simplifying the switch from copper to fibre.
By mid-February 2025, the stop-sell rules will apply in 852 exchanges, affecting over seven million properties—about 40% of Openreach’s 17 million full-fibre reach. James Lilley, Openreach’s managed customer migrations manager, emphasized their commitment to a digital future. He noted that the full-fibre network is already available to over 17 million homes and businesses, with more than 5.5 million using the service. As the limitations of copper connections become clearer, the focus is on getting people onto reliable, future-proof technologies.