Why Can’t I buy Copper Broadband or phone lines?

Yesterday (05/09/2023) marked Openreach’s national stop-sell date for all ADSL / FTTC internet connections and old-style copper phone lines, this means you will no longer be able to purchase any of these services. Instead, BT have released alternative options for the products no longer available. This moment signifies the beginning of the end for the copper-based phone line and broadband connections which is on track to cease in 2025 (only a year and half away).

What does this mean and how does it affect me?

All new connections available will no longer have a copper line attached to them. This means they will no longer come with a phone number; this doesn’t mean you don’t have options, but you will require a VoIP (Voice over IP) license or number if you utilise the line that comes with your broadband. These lines can be used for a lot of different things, to give a few examples:

  • Fax lines
  • main contact number
  • alarm lines
  • PDQ Machine

If you have any of these services on your broadband phone line you will need one of two things, a converter (called an ATA) or a VoIP alternative.

My broadband connection is part of the stop-sell; will my internet be turned off?

No, your connection will stay live but you really should consider upgrading to one of the alternative connections, BT are still on track to cease all copper connections in 2025, the exact date is yet to be released but keep in mind, as we get closer to the date the more people are switching over to a non-copper alternative. If you leave this to the last minute your order will take longer to fulfil as there is limited availability for installs.

How much will these new connections cost?

These are dealt with on a case-by-case basis but some people may find that their copper connection costs roughly the same as the new technology so why wait, unless you have one of the services listed above that utilizes your phone number there is no reason not to move to the new technology as soon as possible, you may find that by requesting a quote we can offer you even greater speeds that you previously had. Even if you have a service on that connection, let us know, we have been able to overcome this obstacle for a lot of our customers and provided VoIP alternatives.

I have Analogue / Digital phone lines, what will happen to theses?

The exact same will happen with the phone lines, you will no longer be able to purchase Analogue or Digital phone lines but they wont be turned off until 2025, the best advice we can give is to start looking at a VoIP or SIP service provider, we can make the transition from an old style phone system (no matter how old) to a new shiny system that will bring you up to speed with the latest technology.

I don’t like change, why can’t I remain on the same service?

Unfortunately in the world we are in, technology is ever moving and change is inevitable, if you choose to do nothing in 2025 your service will be terminated if you are on old copper technology for either your phone lines or broadband, this has been a massive 10 year operation by BT, they have been working across the nation upgrading their data cabinets to give them alternative options or providing new products to replace them so they can do the big switch off.

Summary

If you have any questions or want to hear more about this, please Contact Us or preferably book a Teams call with one of our Team!  We are always happy to help find a solution that works for you and your business, you can be a one-man band or a large corporation, no matter the size we will find a solution for you! Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

If you want to find out more about the different types of internet connection and the actual end of Copper, you can read our blogpost about The end of BT Copper Broadband Services by following that link.  Or you can read about it on Wikipedia.