Ofcom Greenlights Copper Price Changes as UK Shifts to Full-Fiber
Britain's communications regulator Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it will permit Openreach to adjust wholesale pricing on copper broadband connections starting April 1, 2029. This move is part of the country's transition to full-fiber infrastructure.
The decision applies only 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 represents a reduction from the current 100% coverage requirement.
Openreach, which maintains both copper and fiber networks, will be allowed to alter copper connection prices to encourage customer migration to fiber services. The regulator noted that operating dual infrastructure is costly and inefficient.