The UK’s telecoms infrastructure is going through a dramatic shake-up, with millions of homes slowly being moved away from ageing copper cables and being switched to faster FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) technology. The update will mean more properties gain access to quicker broadband, but it also means a change to the way many people make phone calls to friends and family.
Once copper is turned off, homes will then be moved to something called Digital Voice, which uses a web connection for calls rather than those old-fashioned wires that dangle above UK streets. Millions have already made the jump, but now it appears even more will find they can no longer sign up and use that older copper technology.
The next batch of locations to receive the so-called “stop sell” has just been announced by BT’s Openreach. These alerts are triggered when a majority (75 percent) of premises connected to a particular exchange can get ultrafast Full Fibre.
Although it won’t affect existing users, those who want to switch, upgrade or regrade their broadband or phone service in “stop sell” areas will have to take a new digital service over the Openreach new Full Fibre network.
Although it might sound like a scary change, there are some benefits of switching to Full Fibre.
Along with much better broadband, the move to Digital Voice also offers better quality phone calls, along with new features such as spam call blocking, and call diverting to a mobile phone.
Openreach has also confirmed that customers not yet able to get Ultrafast Full Fibre at their premises won’t be impacted, and can stay on their existing copper-based service until Full Fibre does become available.
Speaking about the change James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, said: “The stop sell programme is a critical part of ensuring that the UK’s communication infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the future. 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.”
“Already, our Full Fibre network is available to 20 million premises, around 60 per cent of the UK, with more than 7.7 million homes and businesses currently taking a service.”
If you want to know what service is available on your road, you can visit the Openreach postcode checker to see if things have been upgraded.
CHECK YOUR POSTCODE HERE
If you want to know what the new locations to get the “stop sell” alerts are, we’ve got the full list below.
Groeslon • Pentraeth • Botwnnog • Horley • Colwyn Bay • Dishes • Llanpumsaint • Reigate
Humbie • Friskney • Forres • Cemmaes • Liphook • Bentpath • Sevenoaks • Trowbridge • Penarth
Liverpool • Carluke • Great Yarmouth • St Neots • Borehamwood • Royal Tunbridge Wells • Chippenham (Wiltshire)
Felixstowe • Forest Hill (Greater London – Lewisham) • Ware • Coggeshall • Albrighton • Arkwright (Nottingham)
Swallownest • Barnsley • Beeston • Blackburn • Blackpool • Bolsover • Fulwood • Plains • Cambuslang • Didsbury Greater Manchester – Manchester
Dinnington (Rotherham) • Elland • Eddington (Birmingham) • Fulwood • North Wingfield • Kegworth • Keighley
Merstham Redhill (Surrey) • New Malden Greater London – Kingston upon Thames • Mansfield • Portsmouth
Priory Birmingham • Gower • Hertford • Cheriton Fitzpaine • Tyrone • Newport (Newport)
Porth • Bethesda • Higher Wincham • Abercynon • Chester • Kelsall • Burslem Stoke-on-Trent
Workington • Ferryhill • Thorngumbald • Adlington • Selsey • Aylesham • Bexley
Higham • Ipswich • Burwell • Eye Eye (City of Peterborough) • Chatteris
Sawtry • Dersingham • Spalding • Provanmill (Glasgow) • Queensbury (Bradford)
Rainham Greater London – Havering • New Rossington • Rusholme (Greater Manchester)
Shifnal • Rayleigh • Springburn Glasgow • Rotherham • Tilbury • Tilton on the Hill • Walsall • Winchburgh