Openreach Copper Switch-Off: The Hidden Migration Behind Full Fibre
PSTN • COPPER RETIREMENT • STOP SELL • FULL FIBRE • DIGITAL VOICE
The Openreach copper switch-off is not one single event.
31 Jan 2027 is the key deadline for the traditional analogue phone network, but the broader retirement of copper access services is a separate, phased process tied to Full Fibre availability, stop-sell rules and Ofcom’s regulatory framework.
The biggest change since this article was first published is that Ofcom has now issued its 9 Sept 2026 decision on the second copper-retirement threshold, replacing the consultation-stage position described in the original version.
Openreach copper switch-off: key facts
| Point | Current position |
|---|---|
| PSTN deadline | Openreach says traditional analogue phone lines will go digital on 31 Jan 2027. |
| Copper retirement | A wider, phased process. Customers migrate to Openreach FTTP or rival networks as copper can be withdrawn area by area. |
| Stop sell | Openreach says stop sell is triggered when Full Fibre reaches at least 75% of premises in an exchange area. |
| Lines still to migrate | On 31 Jul 2026, Openreach estimated about 1.5 million lines were still on the old PSTN, including around 350,000 business premises. |
| Latest regulatory change | Ofcom published its final decision on the second copper-retirement threshold on 9 Sept 2026. |
PSTN switch-off vs copper retirement
These two terms are often used as if they mean the same thing, which causes a lot of confusion.
The phone-network deadline
The Public Switched Telephone Network is the legacy analogue system used for traditional voice services. Openreach’s public deadline is 31 Jan 2027.
The wider access-network transition
This is the gradual reduction and eventual decommissioning of copper-based access services as customers move to FTTP or other networks.
That distinction matters because 31 Jan 2027 is not best understood as the day every physical copper cable disappears. Ofcom describes copper retirement as a longer migration process in which customers move from Openreach’s legacy copper network to Openreach FTTP or rival networks.
What does Openreach stop sell mean?
Stop sell is one of the mechanisms that pushes the market away from older copper products before full retirement.
Openreach says the trigger is reached when Full Fibre is available to at least 75% of premises connected to an exchange. In those exchange areas, where FTTP is available at the individual address, customers who place a new order or make many changes to an existing service are moved towards digital or Full Fibre products rather than legacy copper products.
In January 2026, Openreach said active stop-sell rules covered about 12.5 million premises across 1,281 exchanges, and it has continued adding more exchange areas since then.
Stop sell is not the same as immediate disconnection. It mainly restricts new sales and changes to older copper products where suitable fibre alternatives are available.
What changed in Ofcom’s September 2026 decision?
When this article was first published in July, Ofcom’s treatment of the second copper-retirement threshold was still at consultation stage. That is no longer the case.
On 9 Sept 2026, Ofcom published its final statement. It decided that Openreach can exclude premises where FTTP is already available from the ultrafast-coverage calculation it must meet before the copper charge control is disapplied in an exchange area.
Importantly, Ofcom also says that where FTTP is not available at a premises, the charge control on copper-based services will remain in place.
Why it matters: the regulator is allowing copper regulation to unwind more quickly where a genuine FTTP replacement exists, while retaining copper price protection at premises that still lack FTTP.
What does copper retirement mean for broadband competition?
The competitive issue is not whether old copper should remain indefinitely. The question is how quickly Openreach’s copper obligations should fall away while competing fibre networks are still expanding.
Ofcom says its copper-retirement framework is intended to support decommissioning of the legacy network while also promoting competition and investment in gigabit-capable networks. Responses to the 2026 consultation came from Openreach, CityFibre, Community Fibre, INCA, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree and other industry participants.
The September decision therefore matters beyond Openreach itself: customers on the legacy copper network may ultimately migrate either to Openreach FTTP or to a rival network.
Which customers need to pay the most attention?
For many households, migration will be relatively straightforward. The difficult cases are homes and businesses where the old phone line does more than carry ordinary voice calls.
Telecare and health devices
Pendant alarms and monitoring equipment need confirmed compatibility with the replacement service.
Poor mobile coverage
Homes that cannot rely on a mobile during a power cut need an appropriate emergency-resilience plan.
Business equipment
Payment terminals, lift alarms, security systems and other operational equipment may still depend on PSTN services.
Older analogue equipment
Fax machines, alarms and other legacy devices should be checked with the equipment supplier rather than assumed to work.
Ofcom’s focus on vulnerable customers remains active. On 14 Sept 2026, it announced additional safeguards secured from BT for telecare customers as part of its migration-to-IP processes.
Why power cuts matter more with digital phone lines
Traditional analogue phones could often continue working because the line was powered from the exchange. Digital phone services normally depend on powered equipment inside the property, such as a router and, for FTTP, an optical network terminal.
Ofcom requires providers to protect access to emergency organisations during power cuts. Its rules include a minimum one-hour resilience solution, provided free where a customer depends on the landline to contact emergency services.
See our separate guide to digital landlines during a power cut for the practical details.
What happens on 31 January 2027?
Openreach is now explicitly telling customers and businesses not to wait for the deadline.
Its current Big Switch Off guidance says customers still using a traditional phone line should contact their service provider as soon as possible. If a service has not moved by 31 Jan 2027, Openreach says it may be limited.
Some customers may be placed temporarily on Emergency Voice and Access Continuity (EVAc). This is a limited voice-only service designed to keep basic calling available for a short period, but Openreach warns that normal features such as caller display, call forwarding or voicemail may not be supported.
The safest interpretation: treat 31 Jan 2027 as the final PSTN migration deadline, not as a date to wait for. The broader retirement of copper infrastructure continues under separate area-by-area processes.
Where the migration stands now
Openreach stopped selling new analogue WLR services nationally, with additional exchange-level restrictions where FTTP was available.
More exchange areas moved into fibre-led stop sell as Openreach’s FTTP footprint passed the 75% threshold locally.
Openreach estimated about 1.5 million PSTN lines remained, including around 350,000 business premises.
Ofcom finalised its approach to the second copper-retirement threshold under the 2026–31 Telecoms Access Review.
Traditional analogue phone lines are due to move to digital services; some unmigrated customers may temporarily receive EVAc.
The January 2027 PSTN deadline is real, but it is only one layer of the copper transition. The wider retirement of copper is happening in stages as FTTP expands, stop-sell rules spread and Ofcom removes copper regulation where suitable fibre alternatives are available.
Openreach copper switch-off FAQs
When is the Openreach PSTN switch-off?
Openreach says traditional analogue phone lines will go digital on 31 Jan 2027. Customers still using traditional services should contact their provider before the deadline.
Is the PSTN switch-off the same as copper retirement?
No. The PSTN deadline concerns traditional analogue phone services. Copper retirement is the broader, area-by-area withdrawal of copper access services as customers move to FTTP or rival networks.
What does Openreach stop sell mean?
Openreach says stop sell is triggered when Full Fibre reaches at least 75% of premises in an exchange area. Where FTTP is available, new orders and many service changes then move towards digital or fibre products rather than older copper products.
What changed in Ofcom’s September 2026 copper-retirement decision?
Ofcom decided that Openreach can exclude premises where FTTP is available from the ultrafast-coverage calculation used for the second copper-retirement threshold. Where FTTP is unavailable, copper charge controls remain.
Will a digital landline work during a power cut?
Usually not without backup power. Ofcom requires providers to protect customers who depend on the landline for emergency calls, including at least one hour of emergency access where required.
What happens if I have not switched by 31 January 2027?
Openreach says service may be limited. Some customers may temporarily be moved to EVAc, which keeps basic voice calls working but may not support normal calling features.
Sources
- Openreach: Big Switch Off — January 2027 deadline, EVAc and current migration guidance.
- Openreach: Digital phone lines for homes — household migration, existing handsets and EVAc.
- Openreach: six-month business warning — 1.5 million remaining lines and 350,000 business premises estimate on 31 Jul 2026.
- Openreach: Stop Sell update — 75% exchange threshold and current stop-sell programme.
- Ofcom: copper-retirement second threshold statement — final decision published 9 Sept 2026.
- Ofcom: protecting customers during migration — vulnerable-customer and power-resilience requirements.
- Ofcom: BT telecare safeguards — additional safeguards announced 14 Sept 2026.