Copper line price rises 2026: why your landline and broadband bill is rising before the 2027 switch-off

Price tracker, reviewed 21 June 2026

The quick answer

UK copper landline costs are rising sharply in 2026 because Openreach is doubling the wholesale price of its old Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) products to push the final switch to digital before the PSTN network closes on 31 January 2027. Prices rise on 1 April, 1 July and 1 October 2026. If a digital line is available at your address, moving now usually costs the same or less.

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Why is my landline or broadband bill going up in 2026?

Openreach is raising the wholesale price of its old copper lines in three steps during 2026, doubling the cost over the year, so providers move their remaining customers onto digital lines before the copper network is switched off on 31 January 2027.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the copper-based phone system that has carried UK landline calls for decades, and it also underpins older broadband (ADSL and part-fibre FTTC). It is being retired, and Openreach has chosen to use price as the lever for the final push. Rather than cut services off without warning, it is making the old copper rental progressively more expensive so that staying put no longer makes commercial sense (Openreach, 2025).

These are wholesale charges your provider pays Openreach, not the figure on your bill directly. In practice they feed through to retail line-rental and call-plan charges, which is why landline-reliant households and small businesses are starting to see their phone costs climb during 2026. For the household view of what actually switches off, see our guide to the UK copper switch-off in 2027.

How much will the copper line price rise in 2026?

The Openreach WLR basic line rental rises by 20 per cent on 1 April, by a further 40 per cent of the base price on 1 July, and by another 40 per cent on 1 October 2026, reaching about 21.30 pounds a month ex VAT. That is double the 2025 price.

Openreach WLR basic line rental, monthly, ex VAT. Each 40 per cent step is 40 per cent of the original 10.65 pound base, which is why the line doubles over the year (Openreach, 2025; ThinkBroadband, 2025; ISPreview, 2025).
Effective dateChangeWLR basic line (ex VAT)Effect vs 2025
To 31 March 2026Baseline£10.65Starting point
1 April 2026Plus 20%£12.78Up about £2.13
1 July 2026Plus 40% of base≈ £17.04Up about £6.39
1 October 2026Plus 40% of base≈ £21.30Doubled vs 2025

Am I affected by the Openreach copper price rises?

You are affected if your voice line still runs over Openreach copper (a traditional landline, or the phone line on an ADSL or FTTC connection). You are not directly affected if you are already on full fibre or SOGEA, or on Sky or TalkTalk's own equipment.

Who the 2026 WLR rises reach. Sky and TalkTalk customers on those providers' own unbundled (LLU) equipment are not directly subject to the WLR rises, but still face local exchange closures ahead of 2027 (ISPreview, 2025).
Your situationAffected by WLR rises?What to do
Traditional copper landline (with or without ADSL)Yes, directlyPlan a move to a digital line or full fibre before the rises and the 2027 switch-off
Part-fibre (FTTC) with an Openreach voice lineYes, on the voice lineMove the voice line to digital voice; consider SOGEA or full fibre
Sky or TalkTalk on their own LLU kitNot directlyNo WLR rise, but watch for exchange closure notices
Full fibre (FTTP) or SOGEA alreadyNoNothing to do; you are already on a digital line

If you are unsure which camp you are in, the quickest check is the technology behind your service: full fibre (FTTP) and SOGEA are digital and unaffected, while ADSL and FTTC voice lines sit on the copper that is being retired. Our guide to which network your provider uses walks through how to tell.

What is the PSTN switch-off, and when does it happen?

The PSTN copper phone network closes on 31 January 2027. The deadline is locked. About 2.8 million lines still need to migrate, more than 500,000 of them business lines, and any left behind move to a basic emergency voice service from 1 February 2027.

BT Group will retire the PSTN on 31 January 2027, and Openreach has stated that the date is locked and that the technical barriers, including protections for vulnerable telecare users, have been resolved (Openreach, 2026). To get everyone across in time, providers need to convert roughly 47,000 lines a week (Openreach, 2025).

For anyone not migrated by the deadline, Openreach will run a feature-light emergency voice service from 1 February 2027 until the last lines are moved. Where full fibre is not yet built, the digital replacement is SOGEA, a broadband line without the old copper phone service, which reaches about 98.5 per cent of premises (Openreach, 2025). Coverage is no longer the barrier: full fibre now reaches 82 per cent of UK homes and gigabit-capable broadband 89 per cent (Ofcom, 2026).

Relying on a care alarm or running a business?

Do not start a migration until devices are confirmed compatible.

Care alarm compatibility SME continuity hub

Should I switch to fibre now, or wait?

If a digital line or full fibre is available at your address, moving now usually costs the same or less than staying on a rising copper line, and it avoids a forced switch later. Many All-IP products are already cheaper than the post-rise WLR price.

Because the copper rental climbs through the year, the gap between old copper and modern digital widens each quarter. Openreach itself notes that, in many cases, it is already cheaper to be on a new All-IP product than to remain on WLR, even before the rises take full effect (Openreach, 2026). Acting before your next rise lands is the simple way to avoid paying more for a service that is being switched off anyway.

One thing to keep separate: the copper rises are not the same as the April retail broadband price rises. Most large providers also apply a fixed annual increase written into the contract, for example about 4 pounds a month at BT, EE and Virgin Media, 3 pounds at Sky and 3.50 pounds at Vodafone in April 2026 (CompareFibre, 2026; Uswitch, 2026). A copper customer can be hit by both, which makes a move to a fixed-price or fibre deal more attractive. A handful of providers, including Zen Internet and several full-fibre altnets, hold the price fixed for the whole contract term (Choose, 2025).

See what a fibre move would cost you

Our comparison runs across more than 35 UK retailers and ranks by total contract cost, so you see the real price over the term, not just the headline rate.

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How do I check whether I am on a copper (WLR) line?

If you have a traditional landline and your broadband is ADSL or part-fibre (FTTC), you are most likely on a copper WLR line. If you are on full fibre (FTTP) or a phone-free SOGEA line, you are not.

  1. Look at your broadband type. Your provider's account pages or contract summary will say whether you are on ADSL, FTTC (part fibre), SOGEA or FTTP (full fibre). ADSL and FTTC voice sit on copper; SOGEA and FTTP are digital.
  2. Look at how your phone connects. If your home phone plugs into the master socket on the wall, you are probably still on the copper line. If it plugs into the back of your broadband router, you are already on digital voice.
  3. Ask your provider the direct question. Phone or message them and ask: "Is my voice line on Openreach WLR, and what are my digital migration options before the 2027 switch-off?" That phrasing gets the right answer from the support team.

Questions people ask

Will my broadband stop working at the switch-off?

Modern broadband (FTTP, SOGEA or cable) is not affected. Older broadband that runs over the copper voice line (ADSL and FTTC) is migrated to a digital alternative as part of the switch-off, so you may be moved to a new line type, but you will not simply lose your connection without a migration path.

Do mobile phones rely on the PSTN?

No. Mobile networks operate independently of the PSTN and are not affected by the switch-off.

I only want a phone, not broadband. What happens to me?

Where fibre is available you are likely to be moved to a digital line with a router supplied for the phone, and where it is not, to a digital service that emulates the old line at the exchange. Vulnerable customers will not be forced onto a digital line until a suitable solution is in place (Openreach, 2026). Contact your provider so you are not left to the end of the queue.

Is the wholesale price the price I pay?

No. The figures on this page are wholesale charges to providers, ex VAT. Your retail bill includes VAT and your provider's margin, so the exact cash amount differs, but copper voice gets steadily more expensive through 2026.

Can I avoid the rises by switching now?

Yes, if a digital line or full fibre is available. Moving to FTTP or SOGEA takes you off the copper rental entirely, and a digital deal is often the same price or cheaper than the rising copper line.

Further reading and official guidance

We link out to the primary sources and to the clearest explainers elsewhere, including a competitor, so you can verify everything and read more widely.

Sources