The transition in the UK from outdated copper phone and broadband infrastructure to advanced full fibre technology is rapidly gaining momentum. Numerous users have already made the switch to this superior connectivity in the past year, and more households are now being compelled to move away from copper cables.
BT’s Openreach has officially announced that 1.2 million properties will be impacted by the “Stop Sell” alerts, with 132 new locations being included in the list of areas transitioning away from copper-based services.
For those unfamiliar with the process, the implementation of Stop Sell at a phone exchange prohibits internet service providers utilizing Openreach’s network, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone, from offering traditional copper-based phone and broadband services in regions where full fibre is accessible.
Consequently, individuals signing new contracts or renewing existing ones will need to switch to fibre broadband. This shift also affects traditional landlines, which are gradually being phased out, with customers being migrated to Digital Voice services, enabling calls over an internet connection instead of relying on the aging copper wires still visible in many neighborhoods.
Although some elderly and vulnerable customers have expressed reservations about the transition, Digital Voice promises enhanced call quality and extra features like spam call blocking and call forwarding to mobile devices.
Openreach has emphasized that customers without access to full fibre at present will not be impacted. They can continue using their current copper-based services until full fibre infrastructure is deployed in their vicinity.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, highlighted the significance of the stop sell initiative in propelling the UK towards a modern full fibre landscape. By phasing out legacy copper services where fibre is widely accessible, the transition to faster, more reliable digital infrastructure is facilitated, reducing operational costs and supporting the industry-wide move prior to the imminent shutdown of the old PSTN phone network.
To verify the services available in your location, utilize the Openreach postcode checker to confirm if full fibre has been introduced in your area.
For a full list of newly affected locations under the Stop Sell alerts, refer to the following locations:
[The list of locations impacted by the Stop Sell alerts is provided.]
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