Openreach has named a further 112 telephone exchange areas where internet providers will no longer be permitted to sell traditional copper-based broadband and phone services to homes that can already access full-fibre alternatives. The move is part of BT's wholesale arm's ongoing "Stop Sell" programme, which restricts copper sales once fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage reaches a set threshold in a given area, forming part of the wider industry push to retire the ageing copper network in favour of faster, more reliable digital infrastructure.

This latest tranche, the 25th so far, is triggered once 75 percent of premises linked to an exchange can access full fibre, though this reflects availability rather than actual take-up, and existing customers without fibre access are unaffected. By 20 August, Openreach expects to have applied Stop Sell rules to 1,572 exchanges covering roughly 15.4 million premises, about 57 percent of its fibre footprint. The company says it is adding roughly a million new premises to its network every three months, targeting 25 million by the end of 2026, and is also reminding customers that the legacy analogue phone network is due to be switched off by 31 January 2027, having already been pushed back once from a 2025 deadline over concerns for vulnerable users.