BT to switch off landline phones in 84 new UK locations - check your area

The latest set of areas transitioning from outdated copper networks to advanced technology has been announced by BT's Openreach, with 84 locations set for an upgrade within the next year. This significant development will cease the sale of traditional analogue services to over 880,000 premises across the UK.

The nation is steadily advancing towards a digital era, with obsolete copper lines being replaced by superior Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connections.

This modernisation isn't just enhancing broadband capabilities; it's revolutionising home phone systems too. Households will move to VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), a digital communication method that connects calls via the internet.

This innovative service offers features such as Multi Call and three-way calling for conference calls, plus call forwarding to any number, including mobiles. Digital Voice promises better call quality, but it requires a compatible Digital Home phone, reports the Express.

With this update, countless households will experience improved broadband speeds, thanks to Openreach cables utilised by leading Internet Service Providers like Sky, Vodafone, Plusnet, and TalkTalk.

Following the implementation of the "Stop Sell" directive, these ISPs will be obliged to offer new customers the significantly faster FTTP connections.

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Openreach has announced that a "Stop Sell" order is activated when 75 per cent of premises connected to an exchange can access ultrafast Full Fibre. This means customers looking to switch, upgrade, or re-grade their broadband or phone service will be required to move to the new digital service provided over the Full Fibre network.

However, it's important to note that customers in these exchanges who cannot yet receive Ultrafast Full Fibre at their premises will not be affected and can continue using their current copper-based services until Full Fibre is available to them.

Below is the complete list of areas where copper cables are being phased out.

• Portlethen
• Aberdeen
• Addingham
• Alderminster
• Appleton Roebuck
• Ashington (Northumberland)
• Greater Manchester
• Wigan
• Sheffield
• Greater London
• Barking and Dagenham
• Doncaster
• Bishop Auckland
• Bridgend
• Burnham-on-Sea
• Glasgow
• Buxton (High Peak)
• Carlisle
• Gillingham (Kent)
• Chesterfield
• Trefor
• Coalville
• Heage
• Rippingale
• Saintfield
• Rugby
• Greater Manchester
• Manchester
• Leicester
• Exeter
• Flamborough
• Ipswich
• Grimsby
• Rayleigh
• Cannock
• Houghton-le-Spring
• Huddersfield
• Ilkeston
• Ilkley
• Kidsgrove
• Luton
• Leven
• Haywards Heath
• Llanbrynmair
• Cardiff
• Wakefield
• Mareham le Fen
• Chatham
• Moore
• Greater Manchester
• Tameside
• Motherwell
• Southwark
• New Mills
• South Cave
• North Kelser
• Oldham
• Penistone
• Pontardawe
• Raunds
• Rearsby
• Craigavon
• Ross-on-Wye
• Rotherfield
• Chelmsford
• Scotter
• Scunthorpe
• Sherburn (County Durham)
• Skegness
• Solihull
• Blackpool
• Southend-on-Sea
• Stotfold
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Antrim
• Leicester
• Torquay
• Tregynon
• Ellington (Northumberland)
• Bradford
• Havering
• Waltham on the Wolds
• Rotherham
• Brighton and Hove

James Lilley, Openreach's Managed Customer Migrations Manager, commented on the digital shift: "We're moving to a digital world and Openreach is helping with that transformation by rolling out ultrafast, ultra-reliable, and future-proofed digital Full Fibre across the UK. This game changing technology will become the backbone of our economy for decades to come, supporting every aspect of our public services, businesses, industries and daily lives."

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He further added, "Already, our Full Fibre network is available to close to 14 million homes and businesses, with more than 4 million premises currently taking a service. 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."

Lilley also pointed out the limitations of legacy technology: "As copper's ability to support modern communications declines, the immediate focus is getting people onto newer, future proofed technologies."

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