BT to switch off Yorkshire landlines in nine areas – full list

The aging copper wires that have kept our homes connected for years are gradually being replaced by new fiber cables. This change not only improves broadband speeds, but also changes the way we make phone calls with the move to Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) technology.

Instead of relying on old analog wires to connect with loved ones, households will switch to VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). This service promises to improve call quality and introduce new features such as multiple calls and call forwarding to any other phone number, including mobile phones.

This gradual transition to new cables is slowly happening in the UK and we now know the following regions which will soon offer FTTP technology exclusively. BT’s Openreach, which provides nationwide broadband infrastructure, has confirmed that 84 new locations will switch to FTTP over the next year, the Mirror reports.

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Once implemented, Openreach will stop selling legacy analogue products in over 880,000 premises across the UK. This will affect providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Plusnet, which all use Openreach cables to deliver internet services to homes.

“Openreach has today announced a further 84 new exchange sites where the business plans to stop selling traditional copper-based phone and broadband services to encourage people to switch to new digital services via a superfast Full Fiber connection,” Openreach confirmed.

Here is the full list of areas where copper cables are discontinued:

Aberdeen Portlethen, Aberdeen, Addingham, Alderminster, Appleton Roebuck, Ashington (Northumberland), Greater Manchester – Wigan, Sheffield, Greater London – Barking and Dagenham, Doncaster, Bishop Auckland, Bridgend, Burnham-on-Sea, Glasgow, Buxton (High Peak ) ), Carlisle, Gillingham (Kent), Chesterfield, Trefor, Coalville, Heage, Rippingale, Saintfield, Rugby, Greater Manchester – Manchester, Leicester, Exeter, Flamborough, Ipswich, Grimsby, Rayleigh, Cannock, Houghton-le-Spring, Huddersfield , Ilkeston, Ilkley, Kidsgrove, Luton, Leven, Haywards Heath, Llanbrynmair, Cardiff, Wakefield, Mareham le Fen, Chatham, Moore, Greater Manchester – Tameside, Motherwell, Greater London – Southwark, New Mills, South Cave, North Kelsey, Greater Manchester – Oldham, Penistone, Pontardawe, Raunds, Rearsby, Craigavon, Ross-on-Wye, Rotherfield, Chelmsford, Rugby, Scotter, Scunthorpe, Sherburn (County Durham), Skegness, Solihull, Blackpool, Southend-on-Sea, Stotfold, Stratford-upon-Avon, Antrim, Leicester, Torquay, Tregynon, Ellington (Northumberland), Bradford, Greater London – Havering, Waltham on the Wolds, Rotherham, Brighton and Hove.

Speaking about the upgrade, James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Manager, said: “We’re moving into a digital world and Openreach is helping that transformation with the launch of ultra-fast, ultra-reliable and future-proof digital Full Fiber. Britain, this game-changing technology will become the backbone of our economy for decades to come, supporting every aspect of our public services, businesses, industries and everyday life.”

While the move will be positive for those who want better downloads, it has left some worried about how they will stay connected. Some homes remain disconnected from the internet, while others have expressed concern about times when the internet is offline.

VOIP needs the internet to work, so if there is an outage, homes may not be able to stay connected unless they also have a smartphone. This could put more vulnerable Britons at risk in an emergency.

The UK government recently stepped in to ensure providers keep all users in touch with ministers saying the new deal with telcos will better protect those who use personal alarms, known as teleassistance, which provide support by away to elderly, disabled and vulnerable people with many located in rural and remote areas.

“The safety of vulnerable customers comes before anything else, and that’s why we’ve called on the industry to listen to concerns and take action to ensure the right protections are in place,” said Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.