Over 1.5 million households are set to lose access to outdated copper technology as a major telecom and broadband transition unfolds in the UK. BT’s Openreach, a key infrastructure provider nationwide, has announced a significant update that will mark the phasing out of traditional landlines.
The company has issued a “Stop Sell” notification in more than 160 areas, indicating that service providers utilizing its infrastructure, like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Plusnet, will be mandated to transition new customers and those renewing contracts to modern fiber technology.
Openreach clarifies that the “Stop Sell” directive is activated when 75% of properties linked to an exchange have access to ultrafast Full Fibre. Customers seeking to switch, upgrade, or modify their broadband or phone services will be required to migrate to the new Full Fibre network.
While landlines will not be disconnected, they will be transitioned to digital voice calls that leverage the internet instead of traditional copper wiring to maintain connectivity.
Advantages of Full Fibre connectivity include enhanced call quality, advanced features, and notably faster broadband speeds. Copper wires can handle downloads of approximately 70Mbps, whereas switching to fiber boosts speeds to 1,000Mbps.
To check if Full Fibre is available in your area, you can utilize the Openreach postcode checker.
Here is a list of locations where the Stop Sell policy will be implemented:
[List of locations]
Regarding these changes, James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Manager, stated: “We’re transitioning into a digital era, and Openreach is facilitating this shift by deploying ultrafast, reliable, and future-proofed Full Fibre technology nationwide. This groundbreaking advancement will serve as the foundation of our economy for years to come, supporting various sectors including public services, businesses, industries, and daily activities.
“Currently, 18 million premises have access to our Full Fibre network, with 6.5 million already utilizing the service.
“The stop sell initiative is crucial in ensuring that the UK’s communication infrastructure is equipped to meet future demands.”
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