Openreach Confirms 1.2 Million Uk Properties Affected by Copper Switch-Off

Openreach Confirms 1.2 Million Uk Properties Affected by Copper Switch-Offにまつわる役立つ知識を分かりやすく発信ます。

Let’s be honest, copper has had a good run. The first telephone exchange opened in London in 1879, and those wires have been humming ever since—through two world wars, the birth of punk rock, and every single episode of EastEnders. But now, Openreach is holding a funeral for it, and they’re not sending out invitations. By 2026, they want to stop selling copper-based broadband to new customers, and by 2027, they’ll start physically disconnecting old lines. Imagine your broadband dying like a grumpy old cat that refuses to get up—except it’s your entire internet connection.

Here’s the kicker: Openreach has already stopped selling copper to new customers in 535 exchange areas. That’s over half a million homes that were told, “You can’t have the cheap, basic stuff anymore—please buy the shiny, expensive fiber.” But because the fiber isn’t always there yet, some people are left in a digital limbo. It’s like being asked to order a gourmet meal at a restaurant that only serves empty plates.

The Numbers That Will Make You Spill Your Tea

Of those 1.2 million affected properties, around 400,000 are in rural areas. That means farmers, cottage dwellers, and people who live next to sheep are the most stuck. Meanwhile, Openreach has actually overachieved on their fiber rollout—they’ve passed 15 million homes already. But “passed” is a sneaky word. It means the fiber is in the street, but not necessarily in your living room. It’s like a pizza delivery driver who pulls up to your curb, waves, and then drives away.

And here’s a surprising fact: copper wires are technically faster than you think. The old system can handle about 24 megabits per second, which is fine for one person watching YouTube. But modern families have phones, tablets, 4K TVs, and smart fridges that gossip with each other. Full fiber, on the other hand, can hit 1,000 megabits per second—that’s like going from a tricycle to a Ferrari. The only problem is, you can’t drive that Ferrari on dirt roads, and many UK streets are still very, very muddy.

Copper switch-off – SEENIT