Openreach Name 119 UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 12
Openreach (BT) has today announced the next batch of 119 UK exchanges under ‘Tranche 12‘ of their project to move away from copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will also occur once over 75% of premises in each area are able to get FTTP broadband.
At present, there are two programmes for moving away from old copper lines and services, which can sometimes cross over each other. The first starts with the gradual migration of traditional analogue voice (PSTN) services to digital all-IP technologies (e.g. SOGEA), which is due to complete by December 2025 and is occurring for both copper and full fibre products (i.e. ISPs are introducing digital voice / VoIP style services).
The second programme involves the ongoing rollout of gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband infrastructure – using light signals via optical fibre instead of electrical signals via slow copper lines. Only after this second stage has largely completed in an exchange area can you really start to completely switch-off copper lines, but that’s a much longer process as you have to allow a few years for user migration.
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Take note that the process for fully moving away from copper to “fibre” begins once 75% of premises in an exchange are able to receive ultrafast broadband connectivity. The news today is thus focused on this second phase (i.e. “FTTP Priority Exchange” areas).
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 (i.e. some areas have better FTTP coverage than others). We should add that Openreach currently plans to stop selling all analogue phone lines to new customers by 5th September 2023 (this has no impact on IP / SOGEA based copper or full fibre broadband lines).
The 119 New Exchange Locations (Tranche 12)
The migration process away from the legacy services usually starts with a “no move back” policy (i.e. no going back to copper) for premises connected with fibre, which is followed by a “stop-sell” of copper services to new customers (12-months of notice is given before this starts and that is what today’s list represents). This stage is then followed by a final “withdrawal” phase. The stop sell is applied at premises level, so it shouldn’t impact you if you don’t yet have access to FTTP (edge-case conflicts may still occur due to rare quirks of network availability).
The 119 exchanges announced today – covering 1.25 million UK premises – take the total number of exchange upgrades that have already been notified as part of the aforementioned process (including trial exchanges), or which are actively under “stop sell“, to 831 – covering a total of around 7.8 million premises.
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The “stop sell” in the 119 new areas will be introduced from 4th June 2024 next year.
The operator has also added a Stop Sells Page to their website, which makes it easy to see all the changes. Remember, the following list is tentative, so changes and delays will occur (exchanges can are often shifted around into different tranches).
119 Stop Sell Exchanges in Tranche 12
| Exchange Name | Exchange Code |
| East Dean | SDSTDN |
| Blundeston | EABLU |
| Colwyn Bay | WNCB |
| Cowfold | SDCWFLD |
| Kilsyth | WSKIY |
| Larbert | ESLAR |
| Denton | MRDEN |
| Chester Le Street | NECT |
| Milnthorpe | LCMIL |
| Feltham | LWFEL |
| Hitchin | SMHI |
| Lancaster | LCLAN |
| Chertsey | LSCHER |
| Sevenoaks | NDSEV |
| Chapel St Leonards | EMCHSTL |
| Bayston Hill | WNBH |
| Mountain Ash | SWMMN |
| Stretham | EASRM |
| Driffield | MYDFF |
| Mold | WNM |
| Rugeley | WMRUG |
| Llanrwst | WNLST |
| Fencehouses | NEFN |
| Thorne | MYTHN |
| Irthlingborough | EMIRTHL |
| Penn | CMPEN |
| Rotherham | SLRH |
| Pwllheli | WNPWL |
| St Marychurch | WWSMAR |
| Rotherham North | SLRHN |
| Minehead | WWMINE |
| Aberkenfig | SWAAZ |
| Tillicoultry | ESTIL |
| Stratford on Avon | CMSTRA |
| Southerndown | SWSMX |
| Topsham | WWTOPS |
| Risca | SWRDX |
| Llanelli | SWLJ |
| Mercury | MRMER |
| Chepstow | SWCJ |
| Freckleton | LCFRE |
| Cross Hills | MYCSH |
| Gainsborough | SLGB |
| Uttoxeter | WMUTT |
| Great Wakering | EAGWK |
| Malvern | WMMAL |
| Stonehouse | WSSTO |
| Hesketh Bank | LCHBK |
| Matlock | EMMATLO |
| Holyhead | WNHOL |
| Senghenydd | SWXNH |
| Ynysddu | SWYDU |
| Billingshurst | SDBLLNG |
| Leek | WMLEE |
| Kennoway | ESKNW |
| Budleigh Salterton | WWBUDL |
| Faversham | NDFAV |
| Crowborough | NDCRO |
| Goole | MYGOO |
| Hawkinge | NDHAW |
| Caerphilly | SWCAB |
| Mogador | LSMOG |
| Chessington | LSCHES |
| Widnes | LVWID |
| Newton -Le -Willows | LVNLW |
| Victoria | CMVIC |
| Honley | MYHON |
| Holland on Sea | EAHOL |
| Friday Bridge | EMFRIDA |
| Ashton On Ribble | LCAOR |
| Stalybridge | MRSTA |
| Upholland | LVUPH |
| Droylsden | MRDRO |
| Swadlincote | EMSWADL |
| Kendal | LCKEN |
| Shaw | LCSHW |
| Simonswood | LVSIM |
| Altrincham | MRALT |
| Knottingley | MYKNO |
| Blackwood | SWBIG |
| Ebbw Vale | SWEBY |
| Maesteg | SWMAL |
| Newport Savoy | SWNEEX |
| Newton Llantwit | SWNVW |
| Criccieth | WNCRI |
| Market Drayton | WNMD |
| Whitchurch | WNWCH |
| Kidbrooke | LSKID |
| Brownhills | CMBRU |
| Worcester Central | WMWR |
| Bolton | LCBOL |
| Worcester Park | LSWOR |
| Winton | STWINTN |
| Finedon | EMFINED |
| Mottram | MRMOT |
| Sedgley | CMSED |
| Wakefield | MYWAK |
| Aintree | LVAIN |
| North Weald | EANWD |
| Mouswald | WSMOU |
| Marrburn | WSMAB |
| Eddleston | ESEDD |
| Alloa | ESALL |
| Fiveways | WSFIV |
| Dalry(Ayr) | WSDAR |
| Old Colwyn | WNOC |
| Penmaenmawr | WNPEN |
| Jesmond | NEJ |
| Alnwick | NEAW |
| Benwick | EMBENWI |
| Calvine | ESCLV |
| Long Sutton | THLSN |
| Warninglid | SDWRNNG |
| Saddleworth | MRSAD |
| Blaenau Ffestiniog | WNBFF |
| Stoneygate | EMSTNYG |
| Poynings | SDPYNNG |
| Privett | SDPRVTT |
| Macclesfield | MRMAC |
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, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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MarkJ – What if the property had no FTTP on BTw checker if the area move away from copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services?
SoGEA and VoIP. If on ADSL SoTAP and VoIP.
Or put another way, all the downsides of digital voice, none of the advantages of FTTP.
I’m still waiting for the FTTP rollout to start in my area, despite being announced 3 years ago. I guess my exchange not being on next years stop sell list confirms that the likelihood of getting covered by June 2024 is pretty slim.
I wouldn’t use it as an indicator, since we’re talking about areas with 75% coverage of premises, and Openreach doesn’t reach that in every location where they deploy FTTP – at least not quickly.
Yay, my exchange announced, but mid 2025 forecasted date for FTTP.
Progress, I think?
In Wolverhampton every exchange is being worked on or on a list for next couple of years, but the one exchange Fallings Park which all of my area is connected to is not on any of open reaches plans but open reach won’t give me an answer as to why this one is exempt, we have cityfibre in the area but so many horror stories like council not letting the company re dig the road, to connection issues make me want to stay with open reach and sky, ideas or comments from open reach would be nice lol
why would Openreach want to build an exchange where city fibre are already — you answered your own questions. if its the only exchange it probably wasn’t a great commercial case in the first place and that will have worsened with City fibre being present
why would you want to invest your money and not make any return on it. as an aside i expect to see less overbuild by openreach where people like city fibre are already there . this is consistent with the we will do less wider but greater depth to what already done / planned)
‘why would Openreach want to build an exchange where city fibre are already — you answered your own questions. if its the only exchange it probably wasn’t a great commercial case in the first place and that will have worsened with City fibre being present’
I entirely disagree. CityFibre being there makes the commercial case way stronger. Build in an area with no CityFibre Openreach only get the incremental income on FTTC->FTTP, build in an area where CityFibre is they reduce the churn to CityFibre and, in turn, avoid going from FTTC income to zero.
Openreach will have almost 100% overlap with CityFibre by 2025. May as well do it sooner rather than later to avoid CPs having to try and win customers back having lost them to CityFibre or CPs moving their customers to CityFibre to reduce wholesale costs.
Openreach and Virgin Media are the two that will build to protect their existing customer base – no-one else has one.
Zen recently moved my voice over to digital voice. I noticed this month’s bill was about £15 lower than average so I asked them why. Turns out once you’re on digital voice there is no line rental to pay and zen will honour my previous broadband price through their price guarantee. I’m pretty happy with that considering I’m out of contract for a long time and waiting I’m limbo for fttp.
The UK is 20 years behind on fibre broadband. Places in Africa have better broadband than in the UK..
Don’t worry OPENREACH will complete FTTP rollout before 2050.
Where’s your sources because that bollox regardless how it’s looked at.
I mean we could go to individual streets in a lot of places and say they’ve better broadband than an entire country.
There are parts of Africa with better broadband than the symmetrical 10G point to point that B4RN offer or the uncapped XGSPON YouFibre offer? I mean there might be but they’re going to be either trials or tiny areas with a massive price tag.
That’s a bit of a daft comment, Dean.
My street is FTTC only, the vast majority of my town is VM, OR or Netomnia.
Lot of folks could get 900/900 with Netomnia if they’d like.
I do not understand BT’s approach to rolling out FTTP. Most businessess would concentrate on the areas where the can generate the highest revenus – but not BT, they ignore affluent araes of London for a small village in the countryside. Here in the London suburbes I would like ti use BT FTTP servie, but they cannot begin to tell me when I will be roller ouywhere near me.
Its a tough one, sometimes inner city areas can be harder (engineering wise) as there can be congestion in the underground network which may need a lot of costly civil engineering to provide new duct for the cables and there may be issues with permission from local authorities to arrange road works
on the flipside in a rural area which is getting 2mb on adsl for example, the take up would i would guess at near 100% for fttp
probably because it’s a lot cheaper / less red tape to dig up a village, and they’re assured of 100% take up in the longer term as no one else is likely to touch it.
the majority of us who don’t live in London, much less the “affluent parts”, would think Openreach’s strategy of doing a bit of both makes a lot of sense. Especially when all the altnets are burning up their capital trying to compete with OR and VM in most urban areas
Good luck guys.
My local exchange announced 2 years ago and only 50% rollout completed.
Half of my road have FTTP and rest don’t.
Lucky!
2 years of on-and-off work, 1 year in official rollout plan, and 0% rollout complete.
My local exchange is already Fibre enabled (I was actualy one of the first to get FTTH some years back) but having moved just round the corner (Same exchange) I can no longer get ANY openreach fibre product only ADSL, and they currently have no plans to enable my street. Interestingly CityFibre and Virgin already have networks down my street, So I guess Openreach recon it’s not worth doing as too much competition. I f this is true and that’s their business model then they are going to loose more and more customers as alternative networks roll out.
Exactly the same for me unfortunately. At the end of my street, Openreach has fibre coverage (I’m guessing it’s FTTC though since it caps out at around 80mbps download), but I have no fibre coverage whatsoever with Openreach, just the standard 18/1 speeds.
I’m only covered by Virgin Media and basically all the cell providers if I want something that resembles fibre.
Malvern er? how are they going to do that when not everyone can get FTTP in Malvern?
FTTP isn’t necessary
> how are they going to do that when not everyone can get FTTP in Malvern?
Read the article.
Stop-sell starts when 75% coverage is approaching, but is set on a property-by-property basis. Any property which can’t get FTTP, remains on copper just as always.
What is open reach doing they seem to be concerating on outside London their list has only 2 London postcodes what’d happening with the rest of us.
There is fttp at the bottom of our garden but we have not been connected. Other properties further from the box have full fibre. It appears from the list above that Wales and the North have priority, why?
My exchange (Wheathampstead) was announced two years ago as shifting to Fibre. I think Openreach say they have been working in the exchange for at least a year. Then with this announcement a couple of days ago I see that the timeline has now been pushed back to ‘by 2026’.
With no alternative fibre provider on my street, and an ADSL connection providing an upload speed of 1MB, this is a really frustrating. Maybe Starlink is the answer…or apparently LIT Fibre are coming, but it’s hard to see firm dates.
Kidbrooke is on that list, an area with a high amount of Payphones between BT and New World which arent going anywhere for now, I suppose these will be moved onto Voip. Payphones operated by Infocus (Jcdecaux) have always used sim cards/mobile lines and use BT one phone.
It ks ok for you lot. I am paying nearly 40 pounds per month for full fibre to property with a guaranteed minimum of 100 mbs. What an absolute joke been in touch with bt since october 2022 and the issue is still not resolved. They could not care less. Keep the money coming in for shareholders thats the game totally disgusted.
Slightly off topic for the above location.
Does anyone know the status and expectations for Stafford? The website says “Building the exchange now”, but the fibre checker says “Not available” for my address. I checked another address in another city and it shows like a “Soon” message rather than “not available”.
Not sure what to take from it.
I know they’ve been working on my street with the fibre pulls but I haven’t had any letters or any emails detailing when I will likely be able to buy it.
Just hoping someone else will have a bit more of an idea than I.
IT went live yesterday on my street ST161PU! Got a email and just ordered
Was it too much to put the list in alphabetical order?