The nationwide transition away from traditional copper landlines is accelerating, with significant implications for residents across the Midlands. BT's infrastructure arm, Openreach, has confirmed a major expansion of its "Stop Sell" programme, directly affecting 1.2 million homes and adding 132 new locations to the list where legacy services are being phased out.
The End of the Copper Era
This strategic shift marks a decisive move from outdated copper-based telephone and broadband networks towards faster, more reliable full fibre technology. Over the past year, millions of households across the UK have already migrated to this modern infrastructure. The updated Stop Sell alerts mean that in specified areas where full fibre is available, internet service providers relying on Openreach's network—including major names like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone—can no longer sell new or renewed contracts for traditional copper services.
What This Means for Households
For consumers, this change has two primary effects. Firstly, anyone taking out a new broadband contract or renewing an existing one in an affected area will be required to move to a fibre-based package. Secondly, traditional analogue landlines are being progressively replaced by Digital Voice technology. This service routes calls over an internet connection, utilising the new full fibre network instead of the ageing copper wires that still characterise many streets.
While the transition has raised concerns among some older and vulnerable customers regarding reliability, Openreach and providers highlight the benefits of Digital Voice. These include significantly clearer call quality, advanced features like spam call blocking, and the ability to divert calls to mobile phones, offering greater flexibility.
Protections and the Path Forward
Openreach has provided crucial assurances for those not yet able to access the new network. Customers in areas where full fibre is not yet available will not be forced to switch and can remain on their existing copper-based services until the modern infrastructure reaches their locality. This staggered approach aims to prevent disruption while driving the national upgrade forward.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, commented on the update, stating: "Our stop sell programme is a vital step in accelerating the UK’s transition to a modern full fibre future. As copper’s ability to support modern communications declines, our immediate focus is getting people onto newer, future-proof technologies."
He added: "By retiring legacy copper services where fibre is widely available, we’re helping customers and providers move to faster, more reliable digital infrastructure. This also reduces the cost and complexity of running two networks and supports the industry-wide shift ahead of the complete shutdown of the old PSTN phone network, now just over 12 months away."
Checking Your Service and Affected Areas
Residents concerned about how this change affects them are advised to use the official Openreach online postcode checker. This tool confirms whether full fibre has been deployed in a specific area, providing clarity on available services and the potential need to transition.
Newly Affected Locations in the Midlands and Beyond
The latest wave of Stop Sell alerts encompasses a broad range of postcodes. Notably for the Midlands region, this includes areas such as Birmingham (Selly Oak), Nottingham (Chalfont Drive), Breaston (Draycott), Leek (Rudyard), Burton upon Trent, and Biddulph. The national list also features numerous other towns and cities across the UK, from York and Bristol to Edinburgh and Plymouth, underscoring the scale of this digital transformation.
The full rollout list confirms the widespread nature of this upgrade, signalling the impending end for copper landlines as the UK builds a comprehensive full fibre network designed to meet future communications demands.
