BT Openreach Switches Off Copper Landlines in 163 UK Areas, Affecting 1.5 Million Homes

The UK is undergoing its largest ever transition from traditional copper-based landlines to ultrafast fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology, with over 1.5 million homes soon unable to use copper services. BT's Openreach has issued a 'Stop Sell' alert across 163 exchange locations, meaning providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Plusnet must shift customers to full fibre networks where at least 75% of premises can access ultrafast Full Fibre. While existing copper landlines will not be disconnected immediately, new or upgraded services will require digital voice calls over fibre, providing clearer calls and significantly faster broadband speeds—up to 1,000Mbps compared to copper's 70Mbps limit. By early June, 'Stop Sell' rules will be active in 943 exchanges, affecting over eight million premises nationwide. Openreach emphasizes that this digital transformation will create a future-proof, reliable infrastructure to support public services, businesses, and daily life. Customers can check fibre availability in their area using Openreach's postcode checker, as the UK moves decisively toward a fully digital communications era.