Broadband deals: full list of new Openreach fibre exchange locations - what it means for internet speed, bills

• Openreach has named 163 new areas where it will stop selling copper broadband services
• Copper-based deals will no longer be available once most premises can access fibre
• Broadband bills may rise in the short term, as fibre packages often cost more
• But faster, more reliable service is promised, with long-term price competition expected

The UK’s main broadband infrastructure provider has named 163 new exchange areas where it will stop selling traditional copper-based phone and broadband services.

Openreach is pushing providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Vodafone to shift fully to faster and more reliable full fibre connections.

From next year, customers in these areas won’t be able to buy slower, older copper broadband packages,.

The company is giving providers 12 months’ notice before it pulls the plug on legacy services in locations where the majority of homes and businesses can access full fibre.

By June, more than eight million premises will fall into that category. Once fibre is available to most properties in an area, Openreach will bar the sale of copper-based options entirely.

James Lilley, who oversees the shift to digital services at Openreach, said: “We’re moving to a digital world... our full fibre network is available to 18 million homes and businesses already, and that number is growing fast.”

Join our NationalWorld Today newsletter - essential morning headlines in your email.

What does it mean for broadband bills?

The upgrade is part of a broader plan to modernise the UK’s digital infrastructure, and while it promises speed and reliability, it also signals the end of cheaper, older broadband options.

In areas where Openreach stops selling copper services and shifts to full fibre, broadband bills are more likely to go up – at least in the short term.

Fibre packages tend to cost more than legacy copper ones, especially at entry level - even the cheapest full fibre deals can be pricier than old ADSL.

Once copper is withdrawn, households can’t stick with ultra-cheap broadband plans that rely on the older network, and upfront installation fees or router upgrades may be required, depending on your provider and current setup.

But in the longer term, prices could stabilise or drop, as more competition among providers offering fibre could lead to better deals.

While bills may rise, users are getting faster, more reliable internet, which may mean fewer complaints, outages, or the need for expensive mobile data top-ups.

The full list of Openreach new exchange areas is as follows:

• Abbey St Bathans
• Aberystwyth
• Amesbury
• Ammanford
• Armadale
• Avonbridge
• Badsey
• Ballantrae
• Baltasound
• Banff
• Bentley (Doncaster)
• Biggar (Tweedsmuir)
• Birmingham (East)
• Birstall
• Blantyre
• Bowburn (Coxhoe)
• Bridestowe
• Bristol (Fishponds)
• Broad Hinton
• Broughton (Kettering)
• Caerwys
• Calne
• Canvey Island
• Cardiff (Llanishen)
• Carrbridge
• Castle Caereinion
• Chapelknowe
• Chard
• Chester (North)
• Clacton-on-Sea
• Clivocast (Uyeasound)
• Colchester (Highwoods)
• Coventry (Toll Bar)
• Crediton
• Croesowallt (Oswestry)
• Crossford
• Dishes (Eday)
• Ditton (West Malling)
• Dundee (Baxter)
• Dundee (Claverhouse)
• Dunstable
• Durham
• Ellesmere
• Fen End (Haseley Knob)
• Forfar
• Forres
• Gellilydan (Maentwrog)
• Glenanne
• Gosport
• Greater London – Barnet (Mill Hill)
• Greater London – Greenwich (Woolwich)
• Greater London – Harrow (Edgware and Harrow)
• Greater London – Merton (Mitcham)
• Greater London – Redbridge (Goodmayes)
• Greater Manchester – Manchester (Moss Side)
• Greater Manchester – Rochdale
• Greater Manchester – Tameside (Ashton)
• Greater Manchester – Wigan (Ashton In Makerfield, Orrell, Standish)
• Greengairs
• Halifax (Sowerby Bridge)
• Harlech
• Haverfordwest
• Hemingbrough
• Hemsby (Ormesby)
• Hertford (Town)
• Howden
• Ipstones
• Ipswich (Whitton)
• Johnstonebridge (Johnstone Bridge)
• Keelby (Roxton)
• Kilwinning
• King’s Thorn (Wormelow)
• Kiveton Park
• Lacock
• Lakenheath
• Langtree
• Lichfield
• Lincoln (Subs)
• Liverpool (Stanley)
• Llan Ffestiniog (Ffestiniog)
• Llandrillo
• Llangybi (Tredunnock)
• Llanthony (Crucorney)
• Llanwrtyd Wells
• Lockerbie (Bankshill)
• Long Compton
• Loughgall
• Louth
• Ludgershall (Wiltshire)
• Maidens (Turnberry)
• Malltraeth (Bodorgan)
• Margate (Westgate)
• Melsonby (East Layton)
• Newington
• Newport (Bargoed, Pontypool)
• Newtownhamilton
• North Scarle (Spalford)
• Northampton
• Northop
• Norwich (North)
• Nottingham (Basford)
• Nuneaton (Chapel End)
• Paignton (Churston)
• Parwich
• Peacehaven
• Peterborough
• Peterhead
• Pill
• Polegate
• Port Logan (Ardwell)
• Porthcawl
• Preston
• Reading (South)
• Redditch (Studley)
• Redhill
• Rosyth (Inverkeithing)
• Saltburn-by-the-Sea
• Sanquhar
• Seaford
• Sheffield (Beauchief)
• Shirebrook
• Shustoke (Furnace End)
• Silverton
• Snodland
• South Ockendon
• South Petherton
• Southport (Churchtown)
• St Albans
• St Blazey (Par)
• St Ishmael’s (Dale)
• St Stephen (Nanpean)
• Stoke-on-Trent (Longton)
• Sunderland (North)
• Surfleet Seas End (Surfleet)
• Swanscombe (Greenhithe)
• Tamworth
• Telford
• Thornton (Cleveleys)
• Tidworth
• Tonypandy
• Treorchy
• Trevor (Glyn Ceiriog)
• Ulverston
• Valley
• Ware (Dane End)
• Warrington (Padgate)
• Waverton (Christleton)
• Weymouth
• Whitburn
• Whittlesey
• Wilsden (Cullingworth)
• Wisbech
• Wishaw (Cambusnethan)
• Woking (Byfleet)
• Wolverhampton (Fallings Park)
• Wymondham (Melton)
• Yatton
• Yeovil

Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.