Overhead vs. Underground FTTP

[DWDKHN]

Thank you, makes sense.  I called BT to cancel it for now - they informed me that I'd need to switch by the end of the year as the copper network is being retired.  I thought this was just for phone lines, not FTTC broadband.

[WSH]

Yes, even BT support seems to be confused about that.  For 99% of people, it will be just the PSTN phone system closing down, not FTTC.

However, in a very few places they are already starting to close the old exchanges and so FTTC may become unavailable.  That’s unlikely, though.

You could try looking here:

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm

Enter your exchange name under “Locality”.  When it comes up there should be a small link for the exchange name.  Click on that and in the info it gives it will say if there is a known closure date.

Alternatively, you could see if your exchange is in this list:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/09/openreach-to-start-exiting-next-12-uk-exchanges-in-q3-...

[DWDKHN]

Thanks for that.  The code look-up for my exchange (KIngsmead) says:

Exchange Exit:

Not Planned

Exchange Future:

Fibre Handover Point Only

PSTN/ISDN Withdrawn:

31st January 2027

[WSH]

Yes, an interesting one.

FTTP travels a lot further than FTTC, so whereas Openreach currently have 5,600 exchanges, they only need 1000 going forward and the other 4,600 are set to close, sometime between now and 2040.

Basically, Fibre Handover Point means that exchange is one of the 1000.  What the implications of the “only” are for the continued availability of FTTC I’ve no idea.  It may mean they are stopping it from January, along with the PSTN, but I’d be surprised if they are stopping it that quickly.

Any thoughts @iniltous ?