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Openreach Extends Limited Exemptions to "Stop Sell" Policy to Support Smooth Transition

Openreach Extends Limited Exemptions to "Stop Sell" Policy to Support Smooth Transition

What is the "Stop Sell" on WLR?

In September 2023, Openreach implemented a national "stop sell" on Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)—the copper-based infrastructure that has powered UK landlines and traditional broadband for decades. This means communication providers can no longer place new orders for WLR services or add broadband to existing copper lines.

The "stop sell" is part of Openreach's broader strategy to phase out the ageing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by 31 January 2027. The underlying logic is sound: copper infrastructure is degrading, increasingly expensive to maintain, and represents a significant liability as fibre alternatives roll out nationally.

What the stop sell blocks:

  • New WLR analogue phone lines
  • Transfers of existing lines to new providers
  • Adding broadband to existing analogue copper lines
  • Like-for-like line changes (e.g., moving house and requesting reconnection on copper)

What it doesn't affect (yet):

  • Existing WLR customers can keep their service until December 2025
  • Fully unbundled (MPF) services operated by Sky and TalkTalk remain available—these providers own their own copper infrastructure​

The Transition Challenge: Why Exemptions Were Needed

The original December 2025 WLR withdrawal deadline looked achievable in theory. In practice, communication providers faced real obstacles migrating 13 million copper lines and related broadband services within an 18-month window.

The core problems:

1. Telecare and alarm systems
Roughly 1.8 million UK households rely on copper-based telecare systems—medical alert buttons, fall detection, remote monitoring—connected through traditional landlines. These devices cannot simply be switched off; vulnerable customers need careful coordination. BT didn't confirm it could migrate telecare services until September 2025, compressing the timeline further.​

2. Payment systems and infrastructure
ATMs, CCTV systems, burglar alarms, traffic lights, and roadside telephones all depend on PSTN copper connections. Migrating this critical infrastructure across the nation required coordination with multiple third parties, many of whom lacked Digital Voice or VoIP readiness.

3. Rural and remote areas
Not all UK premises have access to Full Fibre (FTTP) or SoGEA alternatives yet. Openreach had exempted some areas from stop sell where no viable fibre option exists, but the exemptions were inconsistent and communication providers struggled to identify which customers could legally migrate.

In response, Openreach extended limited exemptions in February 2024, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all September 2023 deadline was too rigid.

What the Limited Exemptions Allow

The extended exemptions are narrowly scoped—they don't overturn the stop sell entirely, but provide flexibility in specific circumstances.

Exemptions cover:

  • Existing customers in non-FTTP areas: Where a premises cannot access Full Fibre, providers retain the ability to maintain WLR services for existing customers beyond December 2025
  • Telecare and critical services: Providers managing telecare migration can request exemptions for customers still in transition​
  • Certain provider-specific circumstances: Some communication providers negotiated tailored exemptions based on their customer migration timelines​

Exemptions do NOT allow:

  • New WLR orders (outside Salisbury and Mildenhall test exchanges)
  • Adding broadband to analogue-only lines
  • Transferring lines between providers on copper

The distinction matters: exemptions preserve service for existing customers but maintain the stop sell's core purpose—preventing new customers from being locked into obsolete copper infrastructure.

The January 2027 Hard Deadline

Whilst exemptions extend flexibility to December 2025, they do not postpone the final PSTN switch-off. On 31 January 2027, all remaining copper PSTN services—including exempted WLR lines—will cease operation.

This hard deadline applies universally:

  • Landlines: All analogue phone connections must migrate to Digital Voice (IP-based) or cease
  • ADSL and FTTC broadband: Services dependent on copper PSTN lines will terminate when WLR ends; customers must migrate to SOGEA, FTTP, or other non-copper alternatives
  • Telecare systems: The final exemption window ends; all remaining telecare devices must operate on Digital Voice or alternative connectivity​
  • Third-party services: ATMs, alarms, traffic systems must transition off PSTN

Communication providers have been notifying customers of this deadline with increasing urgency. Any WLR contracts remaining at 31 December 2025 face automatic termination with three-month notice—meaning providers must formally disconnect services by 31 January 2027.

What This Means for Broadband Customers

The WLR stop sell and exemptions primarily affect narrowband voice services—traditional landlines. However, the PSTN switch-off indirectly impacts broadband customers on older copper technologies.

ADSL customers (standard copper broadband, typically 5–20 Mbps) rely on the PSTN infrastructure. When their underlying WLR line terminates, ADSL service ends automatically, even if they don't use the landline. Openreach's migration path: upgrade to SOGEA (single order generic ethernet access—essentially repackaged FTTC) or Full Fibre where available.

FTTC customers (fibre-to-the-cabinet, typically 30–75 Mbps) connect via copper from the cabinet to the premises. FTTC services themselves survive the PSTN switch-off (cabinet equipment isn't dependent on PSTN), but customers with bundled PSTN landlines must migrate voice separately to Digital Voice.​

Full Fibre customers are entirely unaffected. FTTP infrastructure is fully independent of PSTN copper.

For most customers, the practical outcome is straightforward: if you're on Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband, the PSTN switch-off poses no threat. If you're on ADSL or FTTC with a landline, contact your provider to confirm your migration plan before 31 January 2027. If you're unsure of your broadband technology, check your postcode on a provider's availability checker or use the broadband availability checker to understand what's available at your address.

Moving Forward: The Path to All-IP

The exemptions represent Openreach's pragmatic acknowledgment that transitioning 13 million copper connections requires staged flexibility. However, they are interim measures, not reversals of the broader strategy. Openreach's long-term vision remains unchanged: migrate all landline voice to Digital Voice (VoIP), and all broadband to fibre-based technologies (FTTP or SOGEA).

For communication providers: The extended exemptions buy time to migrate customers with care, particularly vulnerable populations relying on telecare. The three-month termination notice imposed after December 2025 reflects Openreach's willingness to accommodate further delays if justified, but signals that indefinite exemptions are not on the table.

For households: If you still depend on a copper landline or ADSL broadband, the January 2027 deadline is real and non-negotiable. Waiting until January to migrate guarantees service disruption; proactive migration to Digital Voice and fibre-based broadband eliminates this risk. Providers currently incentivise early switching to cheap broadband deals bundled with Digital Voice—often at savings compared to legacy copper packages.

The exemptions are Openreach's way of acknowledging real-world complexity without abandoning the goal of retiring technology that has become fundamentally unsustainable.