Openreach’s 31 January 2027 deadline is for retiring its legacy analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), not for switching off every copper broadband line in the UK. A separate, exchange-by-exchange programme stops sales of copper products where full fibre is widely available. Whether either change affects you depends on your phone service, premises and connected equipment.
What Openreach is switching off—and what it is not
Two changes are often described together, but they are not the same:
- PSTN retirement: Openreach’s legacy analogue telephone network is due to retire on 31 January 2027. Openreach PSTN users are to move to new services by that date. The UK government’s connectivity timeline gives the deadline.
- Copper product stop sell: Openreach is progressively stopping providers from selling legacy copper products in exchange areas where full fibre is widely available. This is not a nationwide copper-network shutdown on 31 January 2027.
Ofcom treats copper retirement as a distinct process: customers may migrate to Openreach full fibre or a rival network, and copper-service price controls remain where full fibre is not available at a premises. See Ofcom’s explanation of copper retirement.
What the stop-sell milestone means
New exchanges added in May 2026
On 15 May 2026, Openreach announced 238 more exchange locations for its stop-sell programme, covering 1.69 million premises. The company says providers receive a year’s notice. Stop sell is triggered when more than 75% of premises served by an exchange can get ultrafast full fibre. Openreach says customers in those exchange areas whose own premises cannot yet get full fibre can keep their existing copper service until full fibre becomes available there. These are Openreach’s programme rules and figures; the announcement is at Openreach’s May 2026 exchange announcement.
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Programme totals reported in June
By 5 June 2026, Openreach said stop-sell rules were active at 1,432 exchanges, covering around 14.2 million premises—61% of its total full-fibre footprint. Separately, the company said its full-fibre network reached more than 22 million premises, around 60% of the UK. That is Openreach’s own network availability claim, not a measure of coverage across all UK providers. The figures appear in Openreach’s June 2026 rollout update.
For context, Ofcom reported in 2026 that full-fibre coverage across the UK was 78%, up from 6% in 2018, and that 87% of premises had access to a gigabit-capable network. Those are UK-wide coverage measures, not Openreach’s footprint. See Ofcom’s 2026 Connected Nations report.
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How to tell whether your home or business is affected
Check two things separately: whether your phone line uses Openreach PSTN, and whether your premises is in an exchange area subject to stop sell and can order full fibre. An exchange being included does not by itself mean every premises there can switch to full fibre immediately.
- Ask your communications provider about your phone service. Confirm whether you use an Openreach PSTN line, what service will replace it, when migration is planned and how voice service will work during a power cut or outage.
- Check availability at the exact premises. Ask whether full fibre can currently be ordered at your address and whether copper-product stop sell applies to the relevant exchange. Availability at nearby addresses is not confirmation for yours.
- List everything connected to a telephone line. For a business, Openreach specifically flags payment terminals, lift alarms and security systems as possible dependencies. Check each system with its supplier and provider before agreeing a migration.
- Get a clear migration plan. Confirm the replacement service, any equipment or configuration changes, appointment requirements and how the provider will verify that essential services work afterwards.
Openreach advises businesses that are unsure whether they are affected to contact their provider. Its explanation and examples are in the 31 July 2026 PSTN retirement update.
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What the remaining-line estimate says
On 31 July 2026, Openreach said six months remained before PSTN retirement and estimated that around 1.5 million lines were still operating on the old copper-based phone network, including around 350,000 business premises. These are Openreach estimates, not independently audited counts in the cited material. The company’s Director of All-IP, James Lilley, said: “The PSTN switch-off is now just six months away and there is no extension to the deadline.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Telecare and other devices need individual checks
A device that works on an analogue line should not be assumed to work after migration to a digital landline service. Check telecare equipment with the telecare provider and communications provider, and ask them to confirm the proposed setup works for the specific equipment and customer.
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The government’s Digital Landline Charter says a known telecare customer should not be migrated until the customer, communications provider or telecare company confirms that a compatible, functioning solution is in place. This is an operator commitment in the charter, not a claim that every telecare device is compatible with digital services.
Quick Recap
Questions to settle before migration
- Does the current service use Openreach PSTN, or is it already a digital voice service?
- What will replace it, and what will happen to calls during a power cut or broadband outage?
- Will any alarm, lift phone, payment terminal, security system or telecare device need testing or replacement?
- Is full fibre available at the exact premises now, or is it only planned?
- Who will confirm that critical equipment works after the change, and whom should you contact if it does not?
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