Openreach Add 46 UK Exchanges to Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 8

Openreach (BT) has today also released the Tranche 8 batch of 46 UK exchange areas where they plan to move away from copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will occur once over 75% of premises in an area can get their “ultrafast broadband” (FTTP and G.fast at 300Mbps+).

At present there are two different, albeit closely related, stages to moving away from the old copper line infrastructure. 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 are both introducing digital VoIP style voice solutions for customers).

The second stage involves the ongoing rollout of faster Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband infrastructure (see today’s other big news) – using light signals via optical fibre, instead of slower electrical signals 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 as you have to allow a few years for user migration.

The process for fully moving from copper to “fibre” begins once 75% of premises in an exchange are able to receive ultrafast connectivity. We note that hybrid fibre G.fast coverage also counts for this, but its impact will be small (the rollout stopped at 2.83 million premises) and is only relevant where speeds of 300Mbps+ are achievable.

Between the full fibre rollout and the gradual switch away from copper lines, this process will take several years in each area to complete, and the pace will vary from place to place (i.e. some areas will have better fibre coverage than others).

The migration process away from copper usually starts with a “no move back” (i.e. no going back to copper) policy for premises connected with FTTP, which is followed by a “stop-sell” of copper services to new customers (12-months notice is given before this starts and that’s what today’s list represents).

After the above comes the final “withdrawal” phase. At present, Openreach are already preparing to fully shut down and withdraw older analogue products in two trial areas – Salisbury and Mildenhall – and they’re now notifying ISPs that these products will be withdrawn in Spring 2023.

The Next 46 Exchange Locations (Tranche 8)

The 46 exchanges announced today – covering 380,000 premises – takes the total number of exchange upgrades that have already been notified as part of the aforementioned process (including trial exchanges) to around 600 – covering 5 million premises in total. The “stop sell” policy is now active across 250 of these fibre exchanges, covering c. 2.7 million premises.

The operator has also added a Stop Sells Page to their website, which makes it easy to see all of these changes. Remember, the following list is tentative, so changes and delays do sometimes occur.

46 New Stop Sell Exchanges in Tranche 8 (Exchange Code)

Bagshot – THBA
Bourne – EMBOURN
Buckhaven – ESBUC
Burntwood – CMBNW
Burton – LCBTN
Chorley – LCCHO
Crayford – LSCRAY
Cross Keys – SWZKS
Dalton-In-Furness – LCDTF
Dudley Hill – MYDUD
Galgate – LCGAL
Gerrards Cross – THGX
Hartford – MRHAR
Hatfield Woodhouse – SLHTW
Hest Bank – LCHET
Hucknall – EMHUCKN
Huxley – WNHUX
Irlam – MRIRL
Llanarmon-Yn-Ial – WNLYI
Llantrisant – SWLLO
Madingley – EAMAD
Manor Park – LVMPK
Newbridge – SWNBI
Northwich – MRNOR
Paignton – WWPAIG
Penicuik – ESPCK
Pickering – MYPIC
Radyr – SWRRY
Ranmoor – SLRN
Reading Earley – THEAR
Rhos On Sea – WNROS
Rosehearty – NSRHT
Ruddington – EMRDDIN
Selby – MYSEL
Skipton – MYSKP
Snaith – MYSNH
Tattenhall – WNTHL
Tilston – WNTIL
Tranent – ESTNT
Weaverham – MRWEA
Wednesbury – CMWED
Wentworth – THWTH
Whissendine – EMWHISS
Willowcroft – EMWILLO
Wilpshire – LCWIL
Wilstead – SMWLS