Ofcom just made it easier for copper line prices to rise
On 9 September 2026, Ofcom quietly changed one of the rules that keeps copper line prices in check while the country switches to full fibre. It’s the kind of decision that sounds like regulatory housekeeping right up until it lands on your bill.
Here’s the short version: Openreach can now start lifting copper line prices in an area once fibre reaches 90% of homes there, rather than waiting for 100%. That gap between 90% and 100% is where this gets real for anyone still stuck on a copper connection.
What did Ofcom actually decide?
Ofcom sets the threshold at which Openreach is allowed to remove price controls on copper lines once full fibre becomes available nearby. Until now, that threshold was 100% ultrafast coverage across an exchange area. From 1 April 2029, it drops to 90%.
Ofcom’s own reasoning is that a small number of “exceptional” premises in any given exchange area make a genuine 100% fibre build impractical, so holding the threshold there indefinitely was blocking copper line prices from ever being deregulated in some places. Fair enough, in theory. Less fair if you’re one of the households in that leftover 10%.
Smaller fibre providers, the altnets building networks alongside Openreach, pushed back hard during the consultation. Their worry is straightforward: a looser threshold lets Openreach declare an area “done” and start moving copper line prices while genuine gaps remain, which changes the commercial picture for anyone still trying to build fibre into those same streets.
Why copper line prices could rise sooner where you live
Price controls exist because Openreach has effectively no competition on copper in most of the country. Once those controls lift in an exchange area, copper line prices are freer to move, and they tend to move in one direction.
Under the new rule, that can now happen while up to one in ten homes in the area still has no fibre alternative to switch to. If you’re in that group, you could end up paying more for the same ageing copper line, with nowhere else to go.
Ofcom isn’t pretending this is risk-free. Its own consultation acknowledges the trade-off directly: a looser threshold gets copper line prices deregulated faster overall, at the cost of weaker protection for the households furthest from full fibre.
Are you affected by this copper line prices change?
Only if full fibre genuinely isn’t available at your address yet, and even then, only from 2029 onwards. If you can already order a full fibre package, this change doesn’t touch you directly. It’s the last, hardest-to-reach 10% in any given area who carry the risk.
The honest answer is that most households won’t notice. A meaningful minority, mostly in rural or hard-to-wire spots, are the ones who should actually pay attention to this.
Rural exchange areas are the obvious risk, but it isn’t only remote villages. A single stretch of road with awkward wayleaves, a listed building that can’t take new cabling, or a block of flats with a stubborn freeholder can just as easily end up in that final 10%, city postcode or not.
Key takeaways
- Ofcom decided on 9 September 2026 to lower the threshold for Openreach to remove copper price controls.
- The threshold falls from 100% to 90% fibre coverage per exchange area, from 1 April 2029.
- Copper line prices can then rise in areas where up to 10% of homes still have no fibre option.
- Households that already have full fibre available aren’t directly affected.
- Check your own address now rather than waiting until 2029 to find out where you stand.
What to do if you’re worried about copper line prices
Roo’s advice here is refreshingly unglamorous: check, don’t guess. Most providers let you type your postcode into an availability checker in under a minute, and it’ll tell you honestly whether full fibre has reached your street yet.
If fibre is available, switching now sidesteps the whole copper line prices question, since you’d be buying a fibre package rather than a legacy copper one. Our guide on switching broadband under Ofcom’s one touch switch rules covers how straightforward that’s become.
If fibre genuinely isn’t there yet, it’s worth asking your current provider directly what protections apply to you and keeping an eye on rollout plans for your area. Ofcom’s Connected Nations deployment data shows planned fibre builds by area, which is a more reliable guide than a leaflet through the door.
It’s also worth comparing what’s actually on offer nearby. Our 5G home broadband versus fibre guide is useful if fibre still looks a long way off and you want an alternative that doesn’t depend on Openreach’s copper network at all.
None of this needs sorting today. 2029 is still a few years out, and Ofcom’s threshold change won’t move a single bill overnight. But knowing where your address stands now, rather than finding out the hard way when a price rise letter turns up, costs you nothing and takes about as long as boiling a kettle.
Frequently asked questions about copper line prices
- When do copper line prices actually change?
- Not immediately. The new 90% threshold only applies from 1 April 2029. Until then, Openreach still needs 100% fibre coverage in an area before copper price controls lift.
- Will my bill go up because of this Ofcom decision?
- Only if you’re in the roughly 10% of an exchange area still without fibre access once the new threshold applies, and even then, it depends on what Openreach and your provider actually charge.
- How do I check if full fibre is available at my address?
- Most broadband providers have a free postcode checker on their website. Ofcom’s Connected Nations data also shows planned rollout by area.
- Does this affect landline phone lines too?
- It can, since traditional landlines usually run over the same copper network as older broadband connections.
- What can I do if I’m stuck without fibre?
- Compare alternatives like 5G home broadband, and keep checking rollout dates for your street, since coverage is expanding steadily.
