Openreach to Stop Selling Copper Broadband in 112 More UK Exchange Areas
Openreach has announced the next stage of its move away from traditional copper phone and broadband services, identifying 112 additional exchange areas covering 619,724 premises across the UK.
Under the programme, providers including BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone receive a year's notice before Openreach stops selling new legacy analogue services at addresses where full fibre is available. The stop-sell policy applies in exchange areas where more than 75% of premises can access Openreach full fibre; it does not mean every existing copper connection is immediately switched off.
For households, the practical message is to check whether full-fibre broadband is available at their address, particularly before moving home or renewing an older copper-based package. Customers who still rely on a traditional landline should ask their provider how voice calling and any connected alarms or telecare devices will work after migration.
The announcement is another step in the UK's transition to fibre networks, which can offer faster and more reliable connections than older copper lines. Availability, prices and migration arrangements will vary by address and provider.
Source: Openreach announcement, 8 October 2026.