Your old phone line gets more expensive on 1st October, and the price has already doubled since last year. That matters even if nobody in the office picks up the phone much. A lot of business broadband still travels down those same old wires. Here is what the copper broadband switch-off really means, without the jargon.
What the copper broadband switch-off is doing to your bill
The rental charge on old lines went up in April, went up again in July and rises once more on 1st October. Together those increases double what the same line cost in 2025. Openreach has been open about why. The rises are designed to move everyone off the old network before it closes for good.
Meanwhile the service is not getting any better. Old wiring is harder to repair every year, and the parts are running out. In short, you are paying more for something that works less well.
Why the copper broadband switch-off affects your internet too
Most people hear "phone line" and stop listening. However, a great deal of business broadband still runs down the very same wires as the old phone service. So, when the network closes on 31st January 2027, that broadband stops working too.
This catches businesses out regularly. Your street might have modern fibre running past the door while your actual connection still uses the old cabling. As a result, plenty of firms believe they are already sorted when they are not. It is worth finding out what you have rather than assuming.
The copper broadband switch-off jargon, in plain English
The industry is terrible for acronyms, so here are the ones you will hear.
- Copper, or the PSTN. The old phone network. It uses metal wires that have been in the ground for decades, and it closes in January 2027.
- ADSL and FTTC. Two older types of broadband. Both send your internet down those same old wires for at least part of the journey.
- Full fibre, or FTTP. Glass cable running all the way into your building. It is a separate network, so the closure does not affect it.
- Line rental. The monthly charge for the phone line itself, before any calls. This is the bit that has doubled.
- Stop sell. The rule that stopped anyone ordering or changing old services. It is why you cannot simply add another traditional line.
How full fibre gets you past the copper broadband switch-off
Because full fibre uses different cables entirely, none of this applies to it. There is no rising charge on a dying product and no closing date to work around. You also get far quicker uploads, which helps if your team uses cloud software, video calls or off-site backups.
Where full fibre has not reached your street yet, other routes off the old network still exist. Either way, you finish up on something with a future.
"We keep meeting businesses who think this is next year's problem. It isn't. The lines are getting more expensive every quarter and then they stop working, so the sensible move is to find out what you're running now and switch on your own terms."
Matt Stead, Director, Excel Communications
What to do before January
Around 350,000 business premises across the UK are still on old lines, and Openreach has confirmed the date will not move again.
First, write down every line at every site you run. Then work out what each one actually does, because alarms, card machines and lift phones often sit on lines nobody remembers ordering. Finally, book the changeover early. Installation slots get harder to find as January approaches.
Older factories and workshops tend to be hit hardest, simply because more of their equipment quietly depends on an old phone line. Our manufacturing solutions page goes into that in more detail.
If you would rather someone else worked all this out, we will check your lines and tell you straight. Have a look at our business broadband options, or call us on 0800 711 7111.
