31 Jan 2027
PSTN copper voice switch-off deadline
~18M
Openreach FTTP premises passed in the UK
690+
ISPs that use the Openreach network
0800 023 2023
External-fault reporting line (free)
What is Openreach and how does it relate to BT?
Openreach is a legally separate, wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group. It was first carved out functionally in 2006 under Ofcom's Undertakings, then turned into a distinct legal company in 2017 following Ofcom's Digital Communications Review. It now has its own board, brand, staff and accounts, and is required by regulation to treat every retail ISP, including BT Consumer, on equal terms.
Openreach owns and operates the UK's largest fixed-line telecoms network: the copper, fibre, ducts, poles and street cabinets that carry broadband and phone services to roughly 30 million homes and businesses. Around 690 communications providers sell services over that infrastructure, from BT, Sky, EE, Plusnet, Vodafone and TalkTalk down to specialist business ISPs such as Zen, Andrews & Arnold and AAISP.
What Openreach does and doesn't do
Openreach builds and maintains the network. It does not sell broadband, phone or TV to households, that is the role of the retail ISPs, who buy wholesale access from Openreach and bundle it with their own equipment, support and pricing. When an engineer in a yellow van visits your home, they are Openreach but the appointment is booked by your provider.
Openreach does not cover the whole UK. KCOM owns and operates the network in Hull and parts of East Yorkshire. Virgin Media O2 runs an independent cable and fibre network covering more than half of UK premises. Altnets such as CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Gigaclear and Netomnia build their own full-fibre networks in target towns and cities.
Full-fibre (FTTP) rollout in 2026
Openreach's main strategic project is the rollout of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), the technology that takes a dedicated fibre strand all the way to the wall of your home. By late 2025 the build had passed around 18 million premises (roughly 60% of UK households), on track for 25 million premises by December 2026 and a stretch ambition of 30 million by 2030.
In practice, Openreach has been connecting roughly one new property every 5 to 7 seconds at peak build, making it one of the fastest fibre rollouts in Europe. The investment programme is funded primarily by BT Group, with rural areas covered by the Government's Project Gigabit subsidies.
What FTTP changes for end users
FTTP delivers headline speeds from 100 Mbps up to 1.8 Gbps depending on the package, with symmetric or near-symmetric uploads on the higher tiers. Unlike older FTTC ("fibre to the cabinet") services, FTTP is not affected by line length or copper quality, so the speed your provider sells is the speed you get.
It also retires the copper phone line entirely: a new FTTP install ships with a small ONT (optical network terminal) on the wall and an all-IP voice service running over the broadband connection. If you want background on how that affects your handset, see our guide to VoIP.
Other Openreach broadband technologies
- FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet): fibre to the green street cabinet, copper from there to your home; speeds up to about 80 Mbps, gradually being withdrawn as FTTP arrives
- G.fast: a short-range copper boost from upgraded cabinets, legacy product now being phased out
- SoGEA / SOGFAST: single-order versions of FTTC/G.fast that drop the analogue voice channel ahead of the 2027 switch-off
- Leased lines and Ethernet: business-grade dedicated fibre with guaranteed symmetric speeds and tighter SLAs.
The 2027 PSTN switch-off
By 31 January 2027, Openreach is retiring the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the copper voice service that has powered UK landlines for more than a century. Every remaining home and business landline will be migrated to an internet-based service, branded Digital Voice (BT), Sky Talk on broadband, Virgin Media Talk or VoIP depending on the provider.
Who is affected and when
The switch-off touches every UK landline, but providers are running staggered migrations. BT and most large ISPs have already moved millions of customers over; the final wave includes vulnerable households, telecare alarm users and lines in areas where the rollout was paused after the 2023-24 review. Your provider must give you fair notice and offer compatible equipment.
Vulnerable and telecare users
If you rely on a personal alarm, a careline service or a medical pendant that dials out over the phone line, tell your provider before migration. They are required to offer a battery backup or hybrid landline phone free of charge so the service keeps working during a power cut, and to liaise with your telecare supplier on compatible kit. For more on what changes at home, read our guide to line rental and the move to all-IP.
How to contact Openreach
In normal use you should never need to contact Openreach directly. If your broadband or phone has a fault, the rule is simple: call your own provider. They raise the Openreach ticket on your behalf and own the customer relationship. Openreach only deals with end users for damage to its external network or scam reports.
Openreach contact number
For external damage, vandalism, broken telegraph poles, open cabinets, fallen cables, call Openreach on 0800 023 2023. The line is free from UK landlines and most mobiles. Do not use it for broadband speed or billing issues; the agent will redirect you to your provider.
Openreach live chat (EiVA)
Openreach also runs a web chat assistant called EiVA on the openreach.com website. It handles a narrow set of topics:
- Damage and health & safety reports
- Fibre availability enquiries
- Engineer visits and identification checks
- Suspicious calls or scams claiming to be Openreach
- General enquiries that don't fit a retail provider.
Openreach complaints
Openreach does not handle service complaints from end customers, that is the legal responsibility of your retail provider. If your broadband is slow, your bill is wrong or an engineer visit went badly, complain to the ISP first; they then claim back from Openreach where the fault sits on the network. The Openreach complaints line is 0770 140 7771 and is reserved for damage and conduct issues, not service performance.
Complain via your provider
The fastest route to a resolution is your provider's complaints team. If they fail to fix the issue within eight weeks (or earlier if they issue a deadlock letter), you can escalate free of charge to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, depending on which scheme your provider belongs to.
| Provider | Contact guide |
|---|---|
| bOnline | bOnline contact number |
| BT | BT contact |
| Community Fibre | Community Fibre contact number |
| Cuckoo Broadband | Cuckoo Broadband customer service |
| Direct Save Telecom | Direct Save Telecom contact |
| EE | EE customer service |
| Gigaclear | Gigaclear customer service |
| Hyperoptic | Hyperoptic customer service |
| italk | italk contact |
| John Lewis Broadband | John Lewis Broadband contact |
| KCOM | KCOM contact |
| Onestream | Onestream contact number |
| Origin Broadband | Origin Broadband contact |
| Plusnet | Plusnet contact |
| Pop Telecom | Pop Telecom contact |
| Shell Broadband | Shell Broadband contact number |
| Sky | Sky contact |
| TalkTalk | TalkTalk contact |
| Three | Three contact |
| Virgin Media | Virgin Media contact |
| Vodafone | Vodafone contact |
Provider contact list reviewed in June 2026.
Openreach scam calls and doorstep callers
Scammers regularly impersonate Openreach. The real organisation will never cold-call you to ask for payment, remote access to your computer or to demand a router replacement. If a caller threatens to cut off your line unless you act immediately, hang up. If someone knocks on the door claiming to be an Openreach engineer, ask for the photo-ID badge and check the visit was booked through your provider before letting them inside.
Which broadband providers use the Openreach network?
The Openreach network reaches the vast majority of UK premises outside Hull. Roughly 690 communications providers resell connectivity over it, ranging from the household names below to specialist business and rural ISPs.
- BT, EE and Plusnet (all BT Group brands)
- Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Shell Broadband, NOW Broadband, Onestream, John Lewis Broadband, Pop Telecom, Direct Save Telecom, italk, bOnline, Cuckoo Broadband on the consumer and SME side
- Zen Internet, Andrews & Arnold, IDNet, Aquiss and dozens of business-focused specialists
- Most rural and community ISPs reselling FTTP from local Openreach exchanges.
Networks that do not run on Openreach include Virgin Media O2 (own cable and fibre network), KCOM (Hull and East Yorkshire), CityFibre-based wholesale customers in CityFibre towns, Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Gigaclear, Netomnia / YouFibre and most regional altnets. If a postcode lookup on your provider's site shows only one available technology, that usually tells you which network underpins your address.
Working at Openreach
Openreach is one of the largest engineering employers in the UK, with around 35,000 staff including roughly 30,000 field engineers. The bulk of recent recruitment supports the FTTP build, with apprentice and trainee engineer schemes running across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How to apply
- Create an account on the Openreach careers site and upload your CV
- Apply to a specific role, engineer apprenticeship, planner, surveyor, customer service or office-based
- Sit a short online assessment (numerical, verbal, situational)
- Attend a video interview, usually on Microsoft Teams
- Successful candidates are invited to an assessment centre or a final manager interview.
What to expect at interview
Engineering roles emphasise practical aptitude, comfort working at height (poles, ladders, MEWPs), a full UK driving licence and willingness to work outdoors year-round. Office-based and planning roles focus more on stakeholder management, GIS skills and project delivery. Most interviews last 30 to 60 minutes and include scenario questions tied to Openreach's safety-first culture.
Openreach FAQ
No. Openreach is a legally separate, wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group since 2017, with its own board, brand and staff. BT Consumer is a retail provider that uses the Openreach network on the same regulated terms as every other ISP.
No. Openreach owns the largest fixed network, but Virgin Media O2 runs its own cable network, KCOM serves Hull, and altnets such as CityFibre, Hyperoptic and Community Fibre build their own fibre. Together these reach a growing share of UK premises.
For broadband or phone faults, call your own provider first, they raise the Openreach ticket. For external damage (broken telegraph poles, open street cabinets, dangling cables) call Openreach directly on 0800 023 2023.
Virgin Media O2 (own cable network), KCOM (Hull), CityFibre-based ISPs such as TalkTalk Fibre 150 in CityFibre areas, Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Gigaclear and most regional altnets all run independent networks. Everyone else, BT, Sky, EE, Plusnet, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Shell and roughly 690 ISPs, relies on Openreach.
Standard care-level repairs target three to five working days. Vulnerable customers and business lines on enhanced care can be prioritised. Civil works that need road digging require Local Authority permits and can add a few days.
Openreach employs roughly 35,000 staff, including around 30,000 field engineers, the largest engineering workforce in UK telecoms, driving the FTTP build to 25 million premises by the end of 2026.
You should not. Your provider absorbs the cost when the fault is on the Openreach line. If the engineer proves the issue is your internal wiring, router or handset, your provider can pass on a charge of up to around £155, check your contract before booking the visit.
By 31 January 2027 Openreach is retiring the analogue copper voice network. Every UK landline migrates to Digital Voice or VoIP over your broadband router. Your number does not change; the handset simply plugs into the router instead of the wall socket.
Next steps
Now that you know who actually owns your line, the next move depends on what brought you here. If you're hunting for faster speeds, check whether FTTP has reached your postcode and whether your current provider passes the saving on. If you're worried about the 2027 PSTN switch-off, line up a compatible router and confirm any telecare equipment with your provider well before your migration window.