Openreach puts a stop to copper for another million UK premises | Computer Weekly

"The latest step in its parent company's plan to move customers off the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and upgrade to new digital services has seen Openreach reveal 132 UK exchange locations, covering 1.23 million premises, where the business aims to halt the sale of traditional copper-based phone and broadband services. The BT-owned broadband company has regarded the shift from copper to full-fibre networks as "every bit as significant as the move from analogue to digital and black and white TV to colour"."

"The programme was first mooted in 2019, with legacy network skills and parts increasingly difficult to come by, and with digital services - such as voice over IP (VoIP), video conferencing and other apps - becoming more popular and effective. By retiring analogue phone lines, Openreach said it would create a simplified network to meet the enhanced needs of an increasingly digital society."

"In practical terms, BT is in the process of transitioning more than 14 million traditional lines across the UK onto digital services to realise its plan on a national basis. The stop sell process is triggered when a majority (75%) of premises connected to a particular BT comms exchange can get a full-fibre connection. Customers who then want to switch, upgrade or regrade their broadband or phone service will have to take a new digital service over Openreach's full-fibre network."

Openreach will halt sales of traditional copper-based phone and broadband services at 132 UK exchanges covering 1.23 million premises as part of a migration to full-fibre digital services. The company frames the move from copper to full fibre as comparable in significance to past major media shifts. The programme began in 2019 because legacy network skills and parts are increasingly difficult to source and because digital services such as VoIP and video conferencing are growing. BT plans to transition more than 14 million traditional lines nationally. Stop-sell is triggered when 75% of an exchange’s premises can access full fibre, and communications providers receive one year’s notice.

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