Openreach List 79 New UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 6
By cuterose

Openreach List 79 New UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 6

15/05/2022  |   430 Views

Openreach (BT) has published the Tranche 6 batch of 79 UK exchange areas where they plan to move away from copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will occur once over 75% of premises in an area can get their “ultrafast broadband” (FTTP, G.fast) network.

Just to recap, there are two different, albeit closely related, stages to moving away from the old copper line infrastructure. The first starts with the gradual migration of traditional voice (PSTN) services to all-IP technologies, which is due to complete by December 2025 and is occurring on copper line (e.g. SOGEA) products (i.e. copper and full fibre ISPs will both need to introduce VoIP style voice solutions for customers).

NOTE: Openreach’s full fibre currently covers 5.2 million UK premises (build rate of c.43,000 per week) and they aim to reach 25 million by Dec 2026 (here) – 6.2m of those will be in rural or semi-rural areas. The build rate will soon peak at c.75,000 per week.

The second stage involves the ongoing deployment of faster Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband infrastructure – using light signals via optical fibre instead of slower electrical ones via copper. Only after this second stage has largely completed in an exchange area can you really start to switch-off copper in favour of fibre, which is a longer process (i.e. it takes time to build FTTP, and then you have to allow time for customer migration).

As above, the process for moving from copper to “fibre” begins once 75% of premises in an exchange are able to receive ultrafast connectivity. Hybrid fibre G.fast coverage also counts for this, but its impact is small and is only relevant where speeds of 300Mbps+ are achievable.

The target for the above is often c.24 months after the fibre roll-out starts, while the copper switch-off might then occur c.3 years after that (consumer migration is a slow.. process). The pace of this may vary from place to place, as some areas will have better network coverage than others.

The migration process itself usually starts with a “no move back” policy for premises connected with FTTP (i.e. no going back to copper), followed by a “stop-sell” of copper services to new customers (12-months’ notice is given before this starts) and ultimately full withdrawal.

The Next 75 Exchange Locations (Tranche 6)

The 79 exchanges announced today take the total number of exchange upgrades that have already been notified as part of the aforementioned process (including trial exchanges) to 455. All of the 79 new additions being announced will introduce their “stop sell” from 1st November 2022.

NOTE: Openreach has around 5,600 exchanges, but hybrid fibre (FTTC, G.fast) and full fibre (FTTP) services are supplied via different exchanges (c.1,000 of that 5,600 total) – so 4,600 will eventually close (after 2030).

Openreach List 79 New UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 6

We should add that Openreach has a semi-related “Call Waiting List” campaign running (here), which aims to raise awareness among UK businesses of their plans to withdraw old copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services by December 2025 and replace them with digital (IP / VoIP) alternatives. The operator has also added a Stop Sells Page to their website, which makes it a bit easier to see all of these changes.

Remember, the following list is tentative, so changes and delays do sometimes occur.

79 New Stop Sell Exchanges (Tranche 6)

Exchange NameLocationExchange Code
West HanneyVale of White HorseSMWHY
Knott EndWyreLCKNO
HambletonWyreLCHAM
GlintonPeterboroughEMGLINT
BeaminsterDorsetSTBMSTR
PrestatynDenbighshireWNPRS
LanarkSouth LanarkshireWSLAK
IlminsterSouth SomersetWWILMI
Blyth, NorthumberlandNorthumberlandNEBH
BuckieMorayNSBKI
Burnham On CrouchMaldonEABNH
Chester SouthCheshire West and ChesterWNCSS
CrickDaventryCMCRI
DaventryDaventryEMDAVEN
DunbarEast LothianESDUR
FauldhouseWest LothianESFAU
Kings LynnKing’s Lynn and West NorfolkEAKLN
LiskeardCornwallWWLISK
LossiemouthMorayNSLOS
Merthyr TydfilMerthyr TydfilSWMT/EX
RhuddlanDenbighshireWNRHU
RhylDenbighshireWNRE
RhymneyCaerphillySWRDA
SheernessSwaleNDSHE
St AnnesFyldeLCSTA
TavistockWest DevonWWTAVI
TowcesterSouth NorthamptonshireEMTOWCE
WinscombeNorth SomersetSSWIN
ArnoldGedlingEMARNOL
BasildonBasildonEABAS
Sutton ColdfieldBirminghamCMSUT
MickleoverDerbyEMMICKL
SandiacreBroxtoweEMSANDI
Chapel BramptonNorthamptonEMCHAPE
BrixworthDaventryEMBRIXW
ShardlowSouth DerbyshireEMSHARD
SidcupGreater LondonLSSID
Hunts CrossLiverpoolLVHUN
Kings LangleyThree RiversLWKLAN
MarpleGreater ManchesterMRMAR
GarforthLeedsMYGRF
NormantonWakefieldMYNMN
BlaydonGatesheadNEBL
Lower SheltonBedfordSMLSN
BlunsdonSwindonSSBBN
PeopletonWychavonWMPEO
Worcester St.JohnsWorcesterWMSTJ
Bowmans GreenSt AlbansLNBGN
LancingAdurSDLNCNG
AghaleeLisburn and CastlereaghNIAL
AhoghillMid and East AntrimNIAH
AnnalongNewry, Mourne and DownNIAA
BallycastleCauseway Coast and GlensNIBT
BallygallyMid and East AntrimNIBGL
BallygowanArds and North DownNIBN
BallykinlerNewry, Mourne and DownNIBKR
BallynahinchNewry, Mourne and DownNIBNH
BelcooFermanagh and OmaghNIBCO
BelleekFermanagh and OmaghNIBEK
BushmillsCauseway Coast and GlensNIBH
BessbrookNewry, Mourne and DownNIBSB
CastlewellanNewry, Mourne and DownNICW
CoaghMid UlsterNICH
CrumlinAntrim and NewtownabbeyNICMN
CullybackeyMid and East AntrimNICB
CushendunCauseway Coast and GlensNICSD
DerryaddArmagh City, Banbridge and CraigavonNIDRY
DerrygonnellyFermanagh and OmaghNIDY
DerrylinFermanagh and OmaghNIDYN
DrumboLisburn and CastlereaghNIDBO
FivemiletownMid UlsterNIFN
GlenarmMid and East AntrimNIGM
KeshFermanagh and OmaghNIKH
LisnaskeaFermanagh and OmaghNILA
RandalstownAntrim and NewtownabbeyNIRT
TandrageeArmagh City, Banbridge and CraigavonNITG

One small issue. Despite the announcement mentioning 79 exchanges, the official list for Tranche 6 only names 76.

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