Openreach has unveiled plans to to stop selling traditional copper-based phone and broadband services in a further 112 exchange areas across the UK.
Affecting more than 619,000 premises, the move is part of the company’s ongoing push to encourage households and businesses to switch to faster, more reliable Full Fibre broadband.
Broadband providers including BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone will receive 12 months’ notice before the new restrictions come into force.
Known as ‘stop sell’, the rules are introduced once Full Fibre becomes available to at least 75% of premises served by a telephone exchange.
Once activated, providers can no longer sell new copper-based services in those areas, with customers switching broadband providers, upgrading packages or changing their existing services will being moved to newer digital connections.
By 5 November 2026, stop sell restrictions will be active at 1,663 exchanges nationwide, covering around 16.4 million premises.
Openreach Managed Customer Migrations Director, James Lilley, said: “Our stop sell programme is a key step in accelerating the UK’s move to a full fibre future. As ageing copper networks become less able to meet modern communications needs, our focus is on helping customers move to faster, more reliable digital technologies.”
“Retiring legacy copper services where fibre is widely available will support the industry-wide migration to modern networks, reduce the cost and complexity of maintaining old and new infrastructure side by side, and help ensure customers are ready for the closure of the PSTN in less than four months’ time, when everyone will need a digital phone service.”
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