Openreach says about one million copper-based lines are still active across the UK, with the old analogue phone network due to be switched off permanently on 31 January 2027. About 300,000 of those lines are in business premises. In July 2026 the figure was 1.5 million, so the number is falling, but not by a lot of time.
Where the remaining lines are
Openreach's 30 October breakdown puts the most lines in London and the South East (250,473), then Wales and the Midlands (233,033) and Northern England (207,135). Scotland has 112,794, and Northern Ireland 32,809.
Your broadband may be at risk
Lines that haven't moved by the deadline may be transferred automatically to Openreach's temporary Emergency Voice Access (EVAc) service. Openreach says it will keep linked broadband running "where technically possible", but its own briefing, as reported by ISPreview on 5 November, says EVAc doesn't support FTTC broadband in the way the old service did, because that broadband relies on the copper line underneath. Openreach says continuity "will depend on the individual line and technical configuration and cannot be guaranteed in every case". It also calls EVAc "a temporary safeguard, not a long-term alternative".
Openreach is working on a way to keep broadband running without a phone line attached. ISPreview reports that this will probably not begin until around mid-April 2027, which is a tentative timing, not a promise. EVAc is also described as costing significantly more, and Openreach says rental prices for legacy lines already doubled on 1 October 2026.
You don't need full fibre to avoid this. ISPreview says digital options such as SOGEA are available from many Openreach-based providers over your existing copper line.
What to do
If you still have an old landline, ask your provider (BT, Sky, Vodafone and others) when they will move you, and ask what happens to your broadband. Tell them if you rely on the line for a telecare alarm or have no mobile signal at home. Our digital landline switchover guide explains power cuts and back-up. You can also check which full fibre and other services reach your address with our postcode checker, and see which areas Openreach is retiring copper in our stop sell report.