The company is providing a 12-month notice to communication providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone about discontinuing legacy analogue services where full fibre is available, as part of its strategy to phase out copper infrastructure.

This initiative aligns with Openreach's broader goal to promote the adoption of future-proof full fibre technology and enhance the UK's digital infrastructure.

The UK experienced a record surge in broadband usage in 2024, underscoring the increasing demand for faster internet and supporting the need for infrastructure upgrades.

Although over a third of households have already switched to full fibre, Openreach's CEO Clive Selley believes there is still significant potential for more upgrades, emphasizing the importance of faster, more reliable internet services.

Openreach has expanded its full fibre network to over 18 million homes and businesses, adding more than four million premises in the past year, with a target to reach 30 million by 2030.

This move is part of Openreach's broader objective to replace copper with ultrafast fibre, aiming to reach 25 million premises by December 2026 and increase build rates by 20% in the upcoming year.

James Lilley, Openreach’s managed customer migrations director, highlighted the importance of transitioning fully to fibre as copper networks decline in support for modern communications, describing the move as both operationally and commercially sensible.

He also emphasized that maintaining both copper and fibre networks is no longer practical or efficient, advocating for a complete shift to modern digital technology.

Openreach is set to stop selling traditional copper-based phone and broadband services at 94 new exchange locations across nearly one million premises in the UK, encouraging customers to upgrade to ultrafast full fibre connections.