Openreach List Next 77 UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch
Openreach (BT) has today published the next batch of 77 UK exchange locations where they plan to move away from old copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will occur in areas where over 75% of premises can get their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network.
Generally, there are two different, albeit closely related, stages to moving away from the old copper line infrastructure and services. The first starts with the gradual migration of traditional voice (PSTN) services to all-IP technologies, which is due to complete by December 2025 and is occurring on copper line (e.g. SOGEA) products (i.e. copper and full fibre ISPs will need to introduce IP / VoIP based voice solutions for customers).
The second stage involves the ongoing deployment of faster FTTP broadband infrastructure – using light signals via optical fibre instead of electrical ones via copper. Only after this second stage has largely completed in an exchange area can you really start to switch-off copper in favour of fibre, which is a longer process (i.e. it takes time to deploy FTTP, and then you have to allow time for customer migration etc.).
As above, the process for moving from copper to fibre lines begins once 75% of premises in an exchange are able to receive that full fibre connectivity. The target for this is often c.24 months after the fibre roll-out starts, while the copper switch-off might then occur c.3 years after that (consumer migration is a slow process). The pace of this progress may vary from place to place, as some areas will have better network coverage than others.
The migration process itself usually starts with a “no move back” policy for premises connected with FTTP (i.e. no going back to copper), followed by a “stop-sell” of copper services to new customers (12-months’ notice is usually given before this starts) and ultimately full withdrawal.
The Next 77 Exchange Locations (Q2 2021)
Until today a total of 220 FTTP exchange upgrades had been notified as part of the aforementioned process (including the Salisbury trial exchange). The first batch of 118 UK exchange locations, where they would stop selling their old analogue phone services by 29th June 2021, were announced in May 2020 (here). After that we had another batch of 51 in October 2020 (here) and then a further 51 in January 2021 (here).
Since then Openreach has also launched the semi-related “Call Waiting List” campaign (here), which aims to raise awareness among UK businesses of their plans to withdraw old copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services by December 2025 and replace them with digital (IP / VoIP) alternatives.
The 77 exchanges being announced today reflect around 700,000 premises, where the operator plans to stop selling copper-based services in 12 months’ time (coming into effect on 29th April 2022). This brings the total number of exchange locations where they plan to stop selling copper-based services to 297, covering a total of 2.9 million premises.
James Lilley, OR’s Director of Managed Customer Migrations, said:
“This is a really big deal for our industry as it marks the next step in the digital revolution.
Whilst we’re building more and more Full Fibre infrastructure across the country, we’re also working closely with our Communications Providers customers to plan the withdrawal of legacy services and make upgrades from copper to fibre as smooth as possible. This is the next step on that journey – a further commitment that we’ll stop selling copper products in areas where Full Fibre’s going to be widely available.
Just three years from now, we’ll stop selling analogue products nationwide and we’re already working to upgrade some 14 million analogue lines to digital by 2025.”
The operator has also added a Stop Sells Page to their website, which makes it a bit easier to see all the changes (this also includes areas where just the analogue phone services are being withdrawn irrespective of FTTP coverage, such as in the Mildenhall trial).
Some may note from the above page that Openreach has now also implemented a stop sell in 13 of the original 117 exchanges notified in Tranche 1, which are now being referenced as Tranche 1a and will help the operator to maximise “operational learning and ensure that all devolved nations have at least one exchange.” As such the programme so far now looks like this.
FTTP Exchange Upgrade Programme Summary
Tranche 1a – Stop sell to be implemented in 13 exchanges from 29th June 2021
Tranche 1b (104 exchanges) and Tranche 2 (51 exchanges) – Stop sell to be implemented on 5th October 2021
Tranche 3 – 51 exchanges, stop sell to be implemented as planned on 25th January 2022
Tranche 4 – 77 exchanges, stop sell to be implemented on 29th April 2022
We should point out that 24 of the exchanges listed today are in cities (310,640 homes passed), while 1 is in a BDUK state aid area, 27 are in Northern Ireland (251,548 homes passed) and 25 are considered to be rural (136,709 homes passed).
The 77 New Stop Sell Exchanges
| Exchange Name | Exchange Location | Exchange Code |
| Henley- In- Arden | Stratford-on-Avon | CMHEN |
| Hillside | Bromsgrove | CMHILL |
| Lapworth | Warwick | CMLAP |
| Ely | East Cambridgeshire | EAELY |
| Latchingdon | Maldon | EALAT |
| Long Eaton | Erewash | EMLONGE |
| Melbourne | South Derbyshire | EMMELBO |
| Bathgate | West Lothian | ESBAT |
| Kelso | Scottish Borders | ESKEL |
| Peebles | Scottish Borders | ESPEB |
| Eccleston | Chorley | LCECC |
| Garstang | Wyre | LCGAR |
| Nazeing | Epping Forest | LNNAZ |
| Chislehurst | Greater London | LSCHI |
| Norbury | Greater London | LSNOR |
| Bromborough | Wirral | LVBRO |
| Culcheth Padgate | Warrington | LVCUL |
| Ellesmere Port | Cheshire West and Chester | LVELL |
| Netherley | Liverpool | LVNET |
| Hayes | Greater London | LWHAY |
| Bramhall | Greater Manchester | MRBRA |
| Winsford | Cheshire West and Chester | MRWIN |
| Woodley | Greater Manchester | MRWOO |
| Hornsea | East Riding of Yorkshire | MYHNS |
| Pudsey | Leeds | MYPUD |
| Wetherby | Leeds | MYWEH |
| Frittenden | Tunbridge Wells | NDFRI |
| Forest Row | Wealden | NDFRO |
| Willington | County Durham | NEWT |
| Antrim | Antrim and Newtownabbey | NIAT |
| Banbridge | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | NIBB |
| Ballyclare | Antrim and Newtownabbey | NIBC |
| Ballymena | Mid and East Antrim | NIBM |
| Ballymoney | Causeway Coast and Glens | NIBO |
| Brookhall | Derry City and Strabane | NIBRH |
| Ballywalter | Ards and North Down | NIBWR |
| Cookstown | Mid Ulster | NICK |
| Carnlough | Mid and East Antrim | NICL |
| Coleraine | Causeway Coast and Glens | NICN |
| Donaghadee | Ards and North Down | NIDD |
| Dungannon | Mid Ulster | NIDG |
| Downpatrick | Newry, Mourne and Down | NIDP |
| Enniskillen | Fermanagh and Omagh | NIEK |
| Glengormley | Antrim and Newtownabbey | NIGGY |
| Hillsborough | Lisburn and Castlereagh | NIHO |
| Holywood | Ards and North Down | NIHW |
| Londonderry | Derry City and Strabane | NILDM |
| Waterside | Derry City and Strabane | NILDW |
| Larne | Mid and East Antrim | NILE |
| Lisburn | Lisburn and Castlereagh | NILN |
| Magherafelt | Mid Ulster | NIMF |
| Newcastle | Newry, Mourne and Down | NINE |
| Newry | Newry, Mourne and Down | NINY |
| Omagh | Fermanagh and Omagh | NIOM |
| Portrush | Causeway Coast and Glens | NIPR |
| Strabane | Derry City and Strabane | NISE |
| Findhorn | Moray | NSFIN |
| Findon | Worthing | SDFNDN |
| Southwick | Adur | SDSTHWC |
| Wadsley Bridge | Sheffield | SLWB |
| Bedminster | Bristol, City of | SSBED |
| Eastville | Bristol, City of | SSEAV |
| Long Ashton | North Somerset | SSLON |
| Wrington | North Somerset | SSWRI |
| Burry Port | Carmarthenshire | SWBUD |
| Mumbles | Swansea | SWMMV |
| Stone | Stafford | WMSTO |
| Buckley | Flintshire | WNBUC |
| Chester South | Cheshire West and Chester | WNCSS |
| Connahs Quay | Flintshire | WNDEE |
| Alloway | South Ayrshire | WSALL |
| Maybole | South Ayrshire | WSMAY |
| Prestwick | South Ayrshire | WSPRE |
| Camelford | Cornwall | WWCAME |
| Chelston | Torbay | WWCHEL |
| Liskeard | Cornwall | WWLISK |
| Lynton | North Devon | WWLYNT |
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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Nothing for Shropshire and Telford. Openreach seem forget about this area for too long.
ah it’s the same for us in Bedford. In Sept 2020 they said we were on the FTTP list. Then in January they said work would begin within 3 months. Here we are in May and .. wait for it .. nothing. I ask openreach, they don’t reply. I ask the contractor, no response.
This is nothing to do with new FTTP rollout.
It is a big club 🙁
Seriously I get no internet from August until March every year for six years! I’m a disabled mum of three girls who has been on twitter Facebook trying begging for help so right now I pay £16.99+£16.99=£38.98 a month for TWO phone lines one I don’t even use and TWO routers! That’s their idea of fixing things I’m visually impaired agoraphobic bed ridden and yet NOTHING lovely engineers kind hearted men but come on!!!!
I am very sorry to hear about this Kristina and the challenges you experiencing.
I would encourage you to contact your ISP and ensure that you lodge a complaint against them. Based on ofcoms own regulation which regulates Communication companies, they need to fix it and provide you with access.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/broadband-speeds-code-practice
Further if they don’t or can’t fix the issue you experience you can leave the provider and change to a different ISP. For the extra line, you might have requirement for the second line and if not you can cancel the second line. This should save you some costing.
Thanx
Sorry to hear about your issues. I can’t help with them but I can help with your broadband issues. I can help you switch over to my provider which means you will have direct access to me as well as the company if you have any issues so not fighting to get threw to anyone. I’m available all day. If your interested (not sure if you even will get this but I’ll try anyway) please get in touch with me via this link
https://www.snizl.com/gb/blackburn-with-darwen/blackburn/donnas-utilities
£16.99 + £16.99 = £33.98.
Morning, I am keen to better understand the relationship of this and FTTP. I am not very clear if switching from copper to fiber means that they FTTP will role out for the above areas or if it just means pulling the plug on the analog line. I can assume that means FTTP deployment.
So there’s a general switch to all-IP services on both copper and full fibre lines occurring, but as above you also have this gradual move away from copper in full fibre dominated areas to consider – since it’s not viable to have the two networks running side-by-side forever.
So the above areas are those where FTTP is going to be dominant (75% of premises), which means that Openreach can start moving everybody over to the new network over a period of years (starting with a gentle nudge). But they’re not going to switch off copper in non-FTTP areas and leave people stranded.
@Mark
Thank you, once I read your comment and read the article it all made sense. I truly appreciate you explaining this a bit better.
I also am surprised that none of the areas covers Buckinghamshire. I was hoping that Bucks would be on that list. At some point I am sure most town and cities and surroundings will get FTTP.
“But they’re not going to switch off copper in non-FTTP areas and leave people stranded.”
I rather to have a proper FTTP instead.
I think you completely missed the point.
I don’t think he’s ever hit the point, to be fair.
I dont think he even understands his point
City of Wakefield left out again and surrounding areas
Indeed. We are conspicuous by our absence from full fibre builds from Openreach and CityFibre in the surrounding areas.
Ok, I have 3 different providers around me, virgin, bt, and a new one that have been sticking lines in the ground yet they all go past my street and not up my street, bt have left us on copper wire while everywhere else around me is getting fibre, yet I’m still not on the list who can I call to take my copper lines down, 5g is better and faster then my home broadband
Can you not just cancel your landline service
When can we expect fibre in TN16 area near Westerham. Our present reception is useless!
I realise this article is about Openreach, but does anyone know what Virgin Media’s plans are with their switch from copper to VoIP?
I thought they finished their VOIP trial a couple of years ago. As I understand it all new customers are using it now, and existing customers migrated during any upgrades.
I was moved over almost 18 months back. Works absolutely fine for me but when I spoke to the engineer she did explain that it’s possible to go back if needed or you have an unsupported device (connected burglar alarm for example) and that there were no plans to completely switch off the traditional phone lines in favour of VOIP yet.
The trial you are discussing was probably specific to BT the ISP.
Many ISP’s haven’t made any moves towards IP voice yet.
BT won’t let you move back from Digital Voice (VOIP) once it is live.
In fact during the BT order process if the computer dictates you will be put on Digital Voice then that’s that.
The only people on BT who currently have any choice in voice provisioning are those who have an active PSTN line and are being asked to move to Digital Voice.
They can delay the process by a year if they have an alarm or other such device that needs a dial tone.
All new customer installations, and those moving house, get their landline from their hub via an RJ11 to BT adapter. The hub has to be a hub 3 or a hub 4, and you’ll be supplied with one of these if you have an older hub or no hub. By the end of 2025 VM plans to have all landline customers migrated from phone wires to hubs.
So when is suffolk going to get this, we always seem to the last ones to anything!
It’s worth noting that these planned works changing cables and equipment over to fibre will only go ahead with the full support of their work force and their Union the CWU.
BT / Openreach have taken a very aggressive stance against a very loyal work force who has seen them through not only difficult Covid times but repeated bad policy decisions over the years.
Breaking existing agreements on grading and closure of buildings leaving staff no choice but to leave is a disgrace, along with this years no pay rise stance it does not look good in trying to avoid industrial action.
Had a call today about internet. Have you been calling customers saying they are going to be disconnected and asking for WiFi code. Thought it might be a scam.
It almost certainly is.
If you did give them any passwords, I would suggest you change them immediately.
It would be nice if they actually started the work in the location that has been listed above. The September 2020 stated that all the above would be finished and homes connected by march 2021. Absolute rubbish. Now pushed back to the earliest of December 2021.
Andrew did you miss the fact the country has been in lockdown
Yes but it would have been quiter for them to get on with the upgrades as long as thay had proper practice in place less traffic less delays etc
Interesting. My exchange upgrade to FTTP is almost complete, but there are about 40 houses in my street (including mine) who can’t be done because there are apparently no ducts and the copper cable runs under a golf course, who won’t give permission for duct to be laid on their property. The cost of excavating the road was around £150k, which is deemed unviable.
I appreciate the plan is to switch off copper, but there are pockets like this where there is no fibre. Do they spend and upgrade these premises to FTTP or just accept as it is and leave the copper running?
It’s been a frustrating exercise to engage with Openreach then be unable to reach a solution and have to remain on FTTC while neighbours are getting FTTP installed but that’s just how it goes.
David, this is where I would like the Government and legislative work to come togather and force the hand of owners to A) compensate them (a bit) and B) ensure that the landowner are forced to comply.
If this was electricity or water they had no option but allow it to happen. In fact in my deed it say that both Electricity and Water company has right of access to my property if it is deemed that this is required. So question I got for our MPs is, why is this not the case for Telephony and fiber optic cables.
I understand if 10 different companies want to dig ten times. But once, i don’t think that is just right.
Snobs thows golf club people thay won’t be able to hult progress for long
Please bring BT fibre to Thetford
So our exchange is on the list, so far FTTP has not been going very well here. Despite Openreach paying a company to rod and rope all houses they failed on most. Lots of failed installs.
After two months, four visits and about eight hours of work I’ve got a rope! No blockage just a long run (let’s not mention the engineer who spent three hours looking for rod in wrong manhole).
It’s actually very big joke from Openreach for doing the town and cities up North and Scotland but can’t do small town like Nuneaton which needs a serious and major investment in High Speed Ultra Fast Broadband so it can create new jobs and specially having new Hilton Hampton Hotel and transformation project over £1 Billion Pounds and even getting more than £25 Million Pounds Government Grants for Ultra Fast High Speed Broadband in Nuneaton near Coventry.
I even approached 2 weeks ago on (21/4/2021) with Openreach they replied and informed me NO TO ULTRA FAST HIGH SPEED BROADBAND IN NUNEATON !
This is the reply i actually got from
Hi Rizwan,
Thank you for returning my call, I’m very sorry we got disconnected mid conversation. I did try and call you back however the call went to VM message left.
I have checked with our senior project manager and the planning information. I am sorry to be confirm that your immediate area is not currently included in any plan for an upgrade to FTTP via either BDUK Government Funded or our Commercial Openreach work. For the part-funded work we complete in line with the Government (such as the BDUK work) we work with the local authorities to confirm exactly which premises in the local area will benefit from the upgrades. The aim is always to ensure we upgrade the maximum amount of premises possible for the funding that is available. For our commercial work (e.g. work that is fully-funded by Openreach ourselves) we have always said we would only upgrade based on a strict set of commercial criteria which is not information shared in the public domain.
As you mentioned in your original email works are being carried out by City Fibre, I would suggest contacting them to see when there works to provide the fibre service are due to complete.
Another option open for you and any other residents who want faster broadband and wish to explore it, is in the form of a Community Fibre Partnership – which is an Openreach run scheme. Under this scheme, Openreach will part-fund the cost of an upgrade for residents/communities who wish to get faster speeds but who are not able to order Fibre Broadband. The gap fund is then covered by the residents/community themselves. If residents and/or your local community are interested in finding out more about how this scheme works and what a solution could potentially look like for you all, please do contact the team at: http://www.communityfibre.bt.com and to find out more and complete the online registration – on a no obligation basis of course.
I’m really sorry, I do understand this is not the news you had hoped for but this is the case currently and plans can and do change over time which may include your immediate area in a future plan. However, if you wish to look into Fibre through Openreach right now your only option would be via our Community Fibre Partnership detailed above.
As we have no current projects I will arrange for your case to be closed , however if you have an further queries please call me on my direct number below or drop me an email.
Regards
Paula
Paula Hutchins
Infrastructure Solutions Executive Level Complaints Team
Openreach
02071059733
Web: http://www.openreach.co.uk
@Rizwan
You presumably realise that publishing someone’s personal information like this is a probable breach of GDPR?
That aside, the response seems clear and reasonable, setting out options for you. What is your issue? Quite why you would apparently write to Openreach about work being undertaken by City Fibre is unclear?
This is actual reply and response i actually got from
Paula Hutchins – Infrastructure Solutions Executive Level Complaints Team – Openreach
Hi Rizwan,
Thank you for returning my call, I’m very sorry we got disconnected mid conversation. I did try and call you back however the call went to VM message left.
I have checked with our senior project manager and the planning information. I am sorry to be confirm that your immediate area is not currently included in any plan for an upgrade to FTTP via either BDUK Government Funded or our Commercial Openreach work. For the part-funded work we complete in line with the Government (such as the BDUK work) we work with the local authorities to confirm exactly which premises in the local area will benefit from the upgrades. The aim is always to ensure we upgrade the maximum amount of premises possible for the funding that is available. For our commercial work (e.g. work that is fully-funded by Openreach ourselves) we have always said we would only upgrade based on a strict set of commercial criteria which is not information shared in the public domain.
As you mentioned in your original email works are being carried out by City Fibre, I would suggest contacting them to see when there works to provide the fibre service are due to complete.
Another option open for you and any other residents who want faster broadband and wish to explore it, is in the form of a Community Fibre Partnership – which is an Openreach run scheme. Under this scheme, Openreach will part-fund the cost of an upgrade for residents/communities who wish to get faster speeds but who are not able to order Fibre Broadband. The gap fund is then covered by the residents/community themselves. If residents and/or your local community are interested in finding out more about how this scheme works and what a solution could potentially look like for you all, please do contact the team at: http://www.communityfibre.bt.com and to find out more and complete the online registration – on a no obligation basis of course.
I’m really sorry, I do understand this is not the news you had hoped for but this is the case currently and plans can and do change over time which may include your immediate area in a future plan. However, if you wish to look into Fibre through Openreach right now your only option would be via our Community Fibre Partnership detailed above.
As we have no current projects I will arrange for your case to be closed , however if you have an further queries please call me on my direct number below or drop me an email.
Regards
Paula
Paula Hutchins
Infrastructure Solutions Executive Level Complaints Team
Openreach
02071059733
Web: http://www.openreach.co.uk
Right?
They’re under no legal obligation to provide you with FTTP. They’re a private company.
You’ve even mentioned that City Fibre are coming so you will get Full Fibre soon anyway.
Expect 12 homes to have fttp by 2025.
Such hard working staff, bt/openreach never steal public funding to slowdown growth… *sarcasm*
OR building FTTP faster than anyone else.
Good article. Some people will always willfully miss the point but that is what it is. Moving away from the old infrastructure is great news for everyone not just those whom it directly effects. By reducing the amount of old tech used they can reduce overheads and that’s only going to be good for the fttp rollout everyone wants in their town yesterday. Please anyone who reads this believe me I understand the frustration of waiting. I work for one of the world’s largest and certainly the UK’s largest supplier of blown fibre tubing (BFT). We supply all the largest ISP’s. Our main site is in the town that I live and we have fibre to the exchange but alas no fttp. Two of the smaller towns in my area happen to have much more extensive fttp structures. This beggars belief for me but it will come.
You’d like to think BT (or anyone) would target those of us on Exchange Only lines.
You would think so. I’m not sure why they are rolling out, and in some cases activating properties that can already get a fast speed first, before slower ones?!
Sunderland as usual is also not listed. No leveling up of the North East from BT then.
Tony a clear link between economic performance of area and openreach FTTP rollout has been established, BT themselves shouldnt be involved in politics, so either its been decided by BT that they consider higher economic areas to be more profitable for consumer FTTP, or the government wants those areas prioritised and leaned on BT to do so.
Regional data published by TBB shows eastern england north of London as been the victims.
I notice that the exchanges in Scotland are small ones. What’s happening to towns in the Lanarkshire area.I live 2 streets away from my exchange area the cable is E/O yet the broadband signal is poor. Openreach say they don’t know when we’ll get fibre. I live next to the town centre with businesses, yet we still have copper and the price is ridiculously high for what we get, so when is fibre coming to Lanarkshire?
So yet again nothing said about the Pengegon Camborne cornwall for full fibre instead of the slow fttc with problems after problems when is the full coverage for Pengegon Camborne going to take place for fttp …
Is there a way to switch to a digital line without being moved over by OR or upgrading to FTTP?
My town isn’t on the list I wonder if my town is switching from copper to fibre now? As they are replacing all of the telephone poles and renewing the lines only make sense to switch to the new fibre lines?