Ofcom Clears Openreach to Change Copper Prices From 2029

Britain’s communications regulator announced Tuesday it will permit Openreach to adjust wholesale pricing on legacy copper broadband connections starting April 1, 2029, as part of the country’s phased transition to full-fiber infrastructure.

The regulatory decision is a step in the United Kingdom's telecommunications overhaul, moving households away from aging copper wiring toward high-speed fiber-optic networks. Full-fiber broadband now reaches more than 80% of households across the UK, according to an Investing.com report.

Coverage Thresholds and Price Adjustments

The decision by Ofcom applies exclusively to premises where full-fiber is available in exchange areas where ultrafast broadband with download speeds exceeding 300 megabits per second reaches 90% of premises.

This 90% threshold represents a reduction from the current 100% coverage requirement. By lowering the mandatory rollout level before pricing flexibilities take effect, the regulator aims to accelerate the decommissioning of duplicate legacy networks.

Regulatory History of the Fiber Transition

The 2029 pricing changes build upon a series of regulatory steps aimed at phasing out copper infrastructure. In 2021, Ofcom permitted Openreach to stop offering copper-based broadband connections to new customers in exchange areas where full-fiber availability reached 75% of premises.

Maintaining parallel copper and fiber networks imposes operational and maintenance costs on network operators. Allowing wholesale price adjustments on legacy connections provides economic incentives for remaining retail service providers and end-users to migrate to modern fiber infrastructure before the decade concludes.