What is the copper switch off and will it affect me?

What’s the copper switch off, and why full fibre broadband?

You might have heard that Openreach are stopping copper wire broadband and telephone communications, in what they’re calling The Copper Switch Off. The copper wire network has been used for telephone communication across the UK since 1876. In more recent years, these copper cables have also provided internet connection. However, a lot of people are now making the switch to full fibre broadband. Copper communication is coming to a halt. Openreach plan to halt the use of phonelines and internet by copper cables for new customers by 2026. But why is the copper cable network coming to an end, and what does this mean for you?

Who will the Copper Switch Off affect?

If you already have full fibre optic broadband, you won’t be significantly affected, if at all. On the other hand, the copper switch off is a huge change that will affect approximately 25 million premises in the UK. So read carefully to find out if this is you, and what you can do about it.

Businesses

Many businesses across the UK rely on long-established copper cable network connection. Schools, GP surgeries, care homes, and pharmacies. Companies who have relied on traditional, old-fashioned copper cables since before full fibre optic broadband existed. These would have taken the biggest hit but there are already plans in place to move these existing customers to digital lines if full fibre isn’t available.

For businesses with different branches in multiple locations across the UK, it’ll just be a case of moving to fibre optic cables or digital if the first option isn’t available in that area initially. Upgrading nationwide internet connection and bringing our public services into the modern era of technology will be a huge benefit thanks to fibre optic’s vastly increased capabilities in terms of bandwidth and speed.

Residences

Millions of homes across the UK will be switched to either digital or fibre optic cable. The copper cable network will no longer be an option. To get ahead of the curve, Hey!Broadband has a wide range of full fibre broadband packages to meet your requirements. Depending on the package you opt for, Hey!Broadband provides free installation worth £150, making your transition so much easier.

Rural areas

For especially remote rural areas, full fibre broadband might not be available before the copper switch off date. This means people may need to switch to 4G, 5G, or a fixed wireless network. For some rural areas, this option may be better and more cost effective than building full fibre broadband infrastructure.

Why is the Copper Switch Off happening?

Copper cable networking isn’t simply being ‘switched off’. First, Openreach are rolling out fibre optic broadband or digital broadband city by city across the UK. They will be replacing copper cables with fibre optic and will only start the copper switch off once the new cables are up and running. Why are they doing this? The simple answer is that it’s proven to be the most reliable network for telecommunications moving forward.

Fibre optic broadband technology means superfast internet connections, allowing you to enjoy all the services that that take up bandwidth which is increasing by the day! Hey!Broadband have been supporters of fibre optic technology for a long time which is why we deliver the best service directly to your home.

The benefits of full fibre broadband:

There’s a good reason Openreach are switching to full fibre broadband, and at Hey!Broadband, we’re already on the bandwagon. Full fibre broadband (or gigabit broadband) is the most reliable broadband UK-wide.

The primary advantages of full fibre broadband are bandwidth and speed. Fibre cables can deliver symmetrical gigabit speeds which means lightning-fast upload and download speeds simultaneously. To put simply, fibre can carry many many more bits of data than copper. So if you’re a multi-device household, this means you can up/download files in seconds, game online with friends, or work from home with no interruptions or lag.

Saying goodbye to copper cable networks means no more (or minimal) buffering. Our full fibre optic broadband technology is future proof. This means that fibre optics can keep pace with evolving technologies, so you won’t be struggling to keep up.

Beyond speed, full fibre broadband is the most reliable broadband option available in the UK. Unlike copper cables, which can degrade over distance and are susceptible to environmental factors, fibre optic cables are resilient and unaffected by interference. This translates to a stable and low-latency internet connection, making it ideal for all the modern demands we put on our internet connection daily.

Get in touch with Hey!Broadband by phone on 0330 822 28 78 or email us at: [email protected] for more info about our packages, your eligibility and anything else.