Openreach, the BT owned company which owns and maintains the UK’s largest phone and broadband network, says it will no longer serve new and upgrading customers through its analogue copper network.
The withdrawal of these services is part of Openreach’s plan to replace all analogue services with digital alternatives by the end of 2025.
To help with the eventual cessation, in 2020 Openreach stopped providing new analogue copper connections for customers in areas covered by its new full fibre network.
Now the firm has announced that any new customer across the UK signing up to a phone or broadband provider who uses the Openreach network will be provided with a new digital service rather than an analogue one.
In addition, existing analogue customers who upgrade or re-grade a service with their current provider will be switched to a digital line.
Openreach says new services will “ideally” be delivered over its full fibre network but for customers outside its footprint, it’ll move them to a digital alternative.
James Lilley, Director of Managed Customer Migrations at Openreach, said: “We’re determined to deliver a world-class, modern and reliable communications service for the entire UK and today is another important step towards the UK’s digital transformation.”