Openreach Temporarily Withdraw Multiport ONT on UK FTTP Broadband Lines

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has informed UK broadband ISPs that they will be “temporarily withdrawing” the provision of their Multiport Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device and the related Box Swap service (i.e. replacing an existing / older ONT with a new Multiport ONT). The move is due to some “technical issues experienced” by providers.

Just for some context. The ONT or optical modem device is usually installed inside your home or office, near to where the fibre optic cable physically enters your property, and its primary job is simply to take the optical signal and convert it into an electrical one that can be connected to your broadband router via a Local Area Network (Ethernet) port. The standard ONT is usually a very small single port device.

Back in May 2024 Openreach moved to introduce a new Nokia based multiport ONT service on FTTP lines for those who need it (here), which was useful for education sites, libraries, post offices, petrol stations, hotels and more. But this appeared to create some technical issues for broadband ISPs using services on multiport ONTs installed on both Nokia and Huawei based head end exchanges.

The network operator is currently working on a fix for these issues with the vendors and has decided to temporarily withdraw provision of the service, which will run for 6 months from 13th December 2025 to 13th June 2026. Any multiport orders which receive KCI2 prior to 13th December 2025 will still go ahead and replacements of already deployed multiport ONTs will also continue, but those are the main exceptions.

Openreach has also been conducting trials with a new Adtran based multiport ONT in Northern Ireland and Ipswich, which will continue through this pause. Further details in the briefing.