Openreach has announced the next batch of 92 exchanges in its FTTP Priority Exchange Stop Sell programme.
The locations cover a minimum of 615,000 premises across the UK, including Greater London, Manchester, and rural communities and conurbations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where Openreach will stop offering the sale of traditional copper-based phone and broadband services, and comes into force in July 2025.
This latest tranche (listed below) takes the total number of stop sell areas to 1,096.
James Lilley, Openreach’s managed customer migrations manager, said, “We’re moving to a digital world and Openreach is helping with that transformation by rolling out ultrafast, ultra-reliable, and future-proofed digital full fibre across the UK. This game-changing technology will become the backbone of our economy for decades to come, supporting every aspect of our public services, businesses, industries and daily lives.
“Already, our full fibre network is available to more than 14 million homes and businesses, with more than 4 million premises currently taking a service. Taking advantage of the progress of our full fibre build and encouraging people to upgrade where a majority can access our new network is the right thing to do as it makes no sense, both operationally and commercially, to keep the old copper network and our new fibre network running side-by-side.
“As copper’s ability to support modern communications declines, the immediate focus is getting people onto newer, future proofed technologies.”
Openreach said that stop sell will have been activated in more than 700 exchanges (around 6 million premises) by the end of the summer.
The company’s stop sell process is triggered when 75 per cent of premises connected to a BT exchange can get a full fibre connection. Customers who want to switch, upgrade or regrade their broadband or phone service will have to take a new digital service over Openreach’s full fibre network.
The programme was first mooted in 2019 to encourage people to upgrade to new digital services over an ultrafast full fibre connection. By retiring analogue phone lines, Openreach said it will create a simplified network that will meet the enhanced needs of an increasingly digital society.
BT is in the process of transitioning more than 14 million traditional lines across the UK onto digital services to realise its plan on a national basis. Following the decision to shut down the PSTN, it was agreed to test processes for migrating customers to fibre services and, ultimately, withdraw legacy copper services and the wholesale line rental products that rely on them. Openreach said it will be upgrading just under 9 million remaining analogue lines, including the traditional landline telephone service, to new digital ones.
Exchange Name
- Shenley Church End (XCH)
- Killingworth (KLT)
- Greenhill (SF/GL)
- Astley Bridge (EAY)
- Prescot (LV/PRE)
- Heckmondwike (HHJ)
- Toothill (THL)
- Saughall(GSU)
- Barrow On Humber(BCA)
- Blackwater(BLW)
- Kesgrave(KGF)
- Stowmarket(STW)
- Brandon(BMT)
- Builth Wells(BSX)
- Port Dinorwic(PES)
- Sittingbourne(SKD)
- Maesglas(MES)
- Hethersett(HIF)
- Wymondham(WRA)
- Burgh Castle(JUQ)
- Faygate(FYG)
- Goldthorpe(GTR)
- Gorseinon(GBY)
- Llanymynech(LLV)
- Galashiels(GL)
- Sevington(SGT)
- Rye(RI)
- Newton Abbot(NEA)
- Camblesforth Uc(ZNX)
- Wilberfoss(VFS)
- West Kilbride (WRB)
- Kinross (KR)
- Morpeth (MP)
- Gorleston (YGS)
- Kirkbymoorside(KCZ)
- Rasharkin(RKI)
- Castlereagh(CTH)
- Ilmington (IMN)
- New Abbey (NAB)
- Borgue (BGZ)
- Kettleholm (KOM)
- Eastrington (EJD)
- Somerby (SOB)
- Scalford (SLD)
- Knipton (KEC)
- Honington (HTN)
- Bridge Of Gaur (QUR)
- Newdigate (NDE)
- Weston (WGH)
- Kerry (KRY)
- Yarrow (YRW)
- Bretton (JRF)
- Thwing (TWI)
- Mid Yell (MNU)
- Bearsden (GW/BEA)
- Horbury (OBE)
- Urmston (MR/URM)
- Shrewsbury (SY)
- Harrogate (HG)
- Armley (LRY)
- Waltham Cross (L/WX)
- Sandy (SDT)
- Newark (NBD)
- Worksop Mnr (WW)
- Seacroft (SET)
- Hornchurch (L/HC)
- Hindley (HIN)
- Portland(PLX)
- Kidderminster(KD)
- Devonport(DV)
- Neath(NM)
- Davidson Mains (EH/DAV)
- Rochford (REP)
- Donaghmore(DIZ)
- Castlederg(CVC)
- Dervock(DVK)
- Maghera(MOZ)
- Toomebridge(TIY)
- Wolverton (WMV)
- Stony Stratford (STM)
- Kettering (KZ)
- Taffs Well(TAT)
- Ynysowen(YYN)
- Brecon(BNB)
- New Southgate(L/ENT)
- Newington (EH/NEW)
- Gortin(GRP)
- Beragh(BZD)
- Tulnacross(TNC)
- Draperstown(DJI)
- Stewartstown(SYP)
- Glenwherry(GQW)