As Openreach continues a massive upgrade of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure from analogue copper to digital fiber-optic, a record 10 million homes and businesses are now switched over.
However, September marks another key milestone – the official ‘Stop Sell’ of older analogue services to the market. From this month, no new copper telephone lines may be ordered*, as Openreach seeks to retire the old-style copper service that goes back to the early 1900s. The stop sell affects a wide range of services – including landlines, traditional broadband, alarms lines and many more.
The £15bn investment represents a great leap forward for the UK – but what does it mean for businesses with existing copper?
Will my existing copper line be turned off?
Not yet! Existing analogue services are expected to be allowed to continue into 2025. However, the lifespan of these is now rapidly reaching its end, and Openreach advises businesses should be preparing to replace these to avoid any risk of loss of service.
What should I be replacing my old copper line with?
If full-fibre is already available in your area, take full advantage of the increased speed and reliability.
For those still on the schedule to be completed, SoGEA broadband options which eliminate the existing line rental in preparation for the fibre switchover are already available for millions of properties. These may remove your old line number, so bear this in mind before you make the important jump to the new service.
What if nothing else is available in my area?
If you’re one of a small proportion of exemptions (sites where no Fibre or SoGEA services are available) ordering a reactivated copper line may still be permitted, at an increased cost.
Alternatively, customers may consider 4G or satellite broadband as an alternative. A new SOTAP (fixed line) option is expected to be available from March 2024, eliminating virtually all new copper service orders nationwide.
What do I do about Service (X) that my business needs?
If you’re unsure about any aspect of your telecoms or connectivity provision, and how it is affected by the stop sell, please contact our team for assistance.
Alternatively, check out Lineal’s recent webinar on the ‘Big Switch Off’:
More details on Openreach’s build plans for 25 million properties across the UK by December 2026 can be found online here: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when-building-ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband