The transition in the UK from old-fashioned copper phone and broadband lines to faster and more dependable full fibre technology is gaining momentum. Millions have switched to this enhanced connectivity in the past year, and more households are now set to move away from copper cables.
BT’s Openreach has announced that 1.2 million properties will be impacted by the “Stop Sell” alerts, with 132 new locations added to the end-of-life list. This announcement restricts internet service providers, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone, from offering traditional copper-based phone and broadband services in areas where full fibre is accessible.
This change mandates that new contracts or renewals must opt for fibre broadband instead of traditional copper-based services. The transition also includes phasing out traditional landlines, shifting customers to Digital Voice, enabling calls over an internet connection for clearer quality and added features like spam call blocking and mobile call diversion.
While some elderly and vulnerable customers have expressed concerns about the switch, Digital Voice offers improved call quality and features. Openreach assures that customers without full fibre access will not be affected and can continue using existing copper-based services until fibre becomes available in their area.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, emphasized the importance of the stop sell program in advancing the UK’s transition to a modern full fibre future. This move aims to facilitate a shift to faster, more reliable digital infrastructure, reducing network complexities and supporting the industry-wide move before the complete shutdown of the old PSTN phone network.
To check available services in your area, utilize the Openreach postcode checker to determine if full fibre has been deployed near you.
The newly added locations impacted by the Stop Sell alerts include various areas across the UK, such as York, Rawmarsh, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sunderland, Edinburgh, and many more.
