Openreach passes digital milestone with closure of first of 4,600 exchanges
The Deddington Exchange in Oxfordshire has become the first of 4,600 exchanges across the UK to be fully de-commissioned as part of the nationwide shift from copper networks to digital full fibre infrastructure.
The rural exchange has also become the first UK location to completely shut down BT’s copper- based public switched telephone network (PSTN), which uses copper wires to carry analogue voice signals, with all end customers upgraded to digital full fibre.
Deddington is one of three pilot exchanges being closed by Openreach, along with Ballyclare in Northern Ireland and Kenton Rd in London, as part of its long- term plan to exit 4,600 exchanges currently used to support traditional copper-based phone and broadband voice services that will no longer be required once customers have migrated to fibre.
Digital networks using fibre cables and software-based switches need far less physical space than traditional copper- based analogue systems, which require large exchanges to house bulky switches and miles of copper wiring.
The move to digital means that Openreach will need just 1,000 ‘super digital exchanges’, also called Openreach Handover Points (OHPs), to serve the whole of the UK. On average each OHP replaces 4-5 traditional exchanges, with some in urban areas replacing 10 or more.
In Deddington, around 1,800 copper lines providing connectivity to local homes and businesses have now been upgraded to full fibre, with the new digital lines served and managed by nearby Banbury Exchange, one of Openreach’s new ‘super digital exchanges.’
Closing an exchange and migrating affected customers typically takes around 4-7 years, depending on the size and complexity of each exchange.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Director, said: “Closing thousands of ‘legacy’ exchanges is a major undertaking, with several million services needing to be migrated. Deddington has served as a proof of concept, demonstrating our ability to decommission legacy exchanges safely, securely and collaboratively.
“Moving to this new digital world will ultimately benefit everybody. Communication providers will be able to serve their customers from fewer exchanges, helping to save costs through consolidation of equipment and reduced space and power requirements. And millions of end users will benefit from more reliable and faster fibre-based services that will be scalable for decades without needing major upgrades. It’s not just about switching off old kit, it’s about building a future-proofed, simpler network for the UK.”
Following closure of its three pilot exchanges, Openreach plans to exit a further 105 ‘priority exchanges’ by December 2030.
The next 12 due to be closed, starting in April 2026, with a two- year window to move customers onto All IP, are Staines, Thames Ditton, Baynard, Wraysbury, Nazeing, Langford, Allestree Park, Beacon, Childwall, Lundin Links, Carrickfergus and Glengormley.
