The UK's historic transition to a fully digital telephone network has officially begun, with the first landline exchange being permanently switched off. This marks the start of a nationwide landline switch-off that will eventually see all ageing copper lines replaced by modern fibre optics.
The First Exchanges Go Digital
The Deddington exchange in Oxfordshire has now been fully decommissioned, becoming the first in the UK to complete the transition. This pilot closure means approximately 1,800 homes and businesses in the area can now only access telephone and internet services through Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology.
James Lilley, Openreach's Managed Customer Migrations Director, confirmed this is just the beginning. 'This proves we can safely and efficiently retire old infrastructure,' he stated, highlighting that the project involves migrating millions of services nationwide.
Why Britain is Switching Off Landlines
The move to digital networks brings significant advantages for consumers. Full-fibre broadband delivers speeds often more than ten times faster than traditional copper lines, while Digital Voice services offer clearer call quality and advanced features like call filtering.
Beyond consumer benefits, the new infrastructure is more sustainable. Fibre cables are lighter and require less physical space than the century-old copper systems they're replacing. Openreach will eventually operate just 1,000 modern 'super digital exchanges' across the UK, down from the current 4,600 copper-based exchanges.
Which Areas Are Next for Upgrade?
Following Deddington's closure, two more pilot exchanges—Ballyclare in Northern Ireland and Kenton Road in London—are scheduled to switch off by the end of November 2025.
Openreach has confirmed the next 12 exchanges scheduled for closure are:
- Staines
- Thames Ditton
- Baynard
- Wraysbury
- Nazeing
- Langford
- Allestree Park
- Beacon
- Childwall
- Lundin Links
- Carrickfergus
- Glengormley
This digital transition represents the biggest change to the UK's telecommunications landscape in decades. While it requires households to adapt, the result will be a future-proof network designed to serve the country's needs for generations to come.
