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Openreach Names 94 Exchanges for Next Copper Switch-Off Affecting 960,000 Premises

Households in the named areas will be moved to full‑fibre service with calls carried over VoIP, which requires local backup during power cuts.

Overview

  • The rollout will take place over the next 12 months under Openreach’s stop‑sell programme.
  • Copper lines in each exchange will be decommissioned once 75% of premises have migrated to fibre.
  • The locations span all four UK nations, including 10 exchanges in Scotland such as Carluke, Caldercruix and two in Glasgow.
  • Providers brand the VoIP calling service as Digital Voice, offering clearer audio, multi‑party calling, number blocking and spam protection.
  • The UK’s full‑fibre transition is now targeted for January 2027, which is reported as a 13‑month delay from the earlier timeline.