- Openreach forces businesses to upgrade by making existing systems more expensive
- All technical barriers have now been removed, making an upgrade a no-brainer
- “If your supplier hasn’t contacted you, you need to ask why”
Openreach has already planned to close the UK’s legacy telephone network by January 31, 2027, but around half a million business lines still need to migrate and the deadline is approaching.
As a reminder, the copper-based PSTN (public switched telephone network) is being replaced by a fiber-based network, and Openreach has already resolved all technical barriers such as telecare protections.
So, to force businesses to upgrade before the deadline, prices for existing industries would have to rise sharply three times this year, starting with a 20% increase starting in April, followed by two 40% price hikes in July and October.
Professional copper connections will soon cost more
The result is that copper lines will cost about twice as much as last year in October, making it an incredibly expensive system to maintain.
“We have spent the last year ensuring telecare customers can migrate securely through our ‘Prove Telecare’ service, removing the final barrier to opt-out,” explained All-IP director James Lilley (via think about broadband).
Most major telecommunications companies have already engaged their customers to move them away from legacy systems. Openreach recommends that those who have not been contacted change provider. “If your provider hasn’t contacted you, you need to ask why,” Lilley added.
In September 2025, Openreach warned that while fiber optic had been made available to 20 million homes, only 38% of them had taken the plunge. “Upgrades don’t often happen automatically, so users will need to contact their broadband provider to make the change,” CEO Clive Selley pointed out.
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