The UK's landmark transition away from traditional copper landlines has taken a decisive step forward, with the first exchange officially decommissioned and a list of twelve locations next in line for the switch-off.
The End of the Copper Line Era
This move is part of a nationwide programme led by BT's Openreach to migrate the country from ageing copper cable networks to a future-proofed, full-fibre digital infrastructure. The process involves issuing 'stop sell' orders to broadband providers like BT, Sky, and TalkTalk, preventing them from selling new legacy contracts and pushing customers towards new fibre technology and Digital Voice calling services.
The pilot phase of this monumental project has concluded with the complete decommissioning of the Deddington Exchange in Oxfordshire. Residents and businesses in this rural area can now only access the internet and make phone calls via FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) technology.
National Rollout and The Next 12 Exchanges
Openreach has confirmed that Deddington is the first of three pilot exchanges, with Ballyclare in Northern Ireland and Kenton Rd in London scheduled to be shut down by the end of November 2025. This paves the way for the company's long-term goal of exiting a total of 4,600 exchanges across the UK that currently support traditional copper-based services.
Once customers are migrated to the new fibre network, these old exchanges will become obsolete. The next twelve exchanges scheduled for closure are:
- Staines
- Thames Ditton
- Baynard
- Wraysbury
- Nazeing
- Langford
- Allestree Park
- Beacon
- Childwall
- Lundin Links
- Carrickfergus
- Glengormley
Benefits of the Digital Switch-Over
The shift to a fully digital network brings significant advantages for consumers and providers alike. For homes and businesses, fibre broadband is over ten times faster and more reliable than the old copper lines. Digital Voice services also introduce new features such as call filters and offer superior call clarity.
From an infrastructure perspective, the new digital networks are far more efficient. They use fibre cables and software-based switches, which require much less physical space than the bulky equipment and miles of copper wiring found in traditional exchanges.
This efficiency allows Openreach to consolidate its operations into just 1,000 'super digital exchanges', known as Openreach Handover Points (OHPs), to serve the entire country. In the case of Deddington, its 1,800 copper lines have been upgraded to full fibre and are now managed from the Banbury Exchange, one of these new super-hubs.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, stated: “Closing thousands of ‘legacy’ exchanges is a major undertaking, with several million services needing to be migrated. Deddington has served as a proof of concept, demonstrating our ability to decommission legacy exchanges safely, securely, and collaboratively.”
He emphasised that the move “will ultimately benefit everybody” by creating a simpler, more reliable, and future-proofed network for the UK, saving costs for providers and delivering better services for millions of users for decades to come.
