A total of 37 towns and cities in Scotland are set to have their landlines cut in the next wave.David Snelling and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
17:27, 12 May 2026
Senior woman dialing a phone number on a landline phone while seated at a wooden table, enjoying a moment of connection and communication(Image: Getty Images)
With the world becoming more digital every day, the traditional ways of communication are set to be scrapped for more up-to-date methods. This means the copper landlines used for decades are now being kicked to the curb.
Instead, households will make calls through their broadband. The official time of death for the old copper-wire phone network is set to be in January 2027, which marks the switch to ‘Digital Voice’ services that will encompass the whole of the United Kingdom.
While many people will already be using their broadband to make calls, there are still thousands of households who have not made the switch. This move is one of the biggest changes to communication in the UK in decades, reports the Mirror, with changes already being made to make the switch over as seamless as possible.
To speed up the transition to the digital methods, BT’s Openreach has been rolling out its ‘Stop Sell’ programme, which means providers can no longer offer new copper-based broadband and phone services to affected areas. This impacts providers such as Plusnet, Sky, BT and TalkTalk.
While many regions of the UK have already received Stop Sell notifications in recent years, meaning they have now moved to digital services only, Openreach confirmed a further expansion of the scheme will affect 238 exchange locations and around 1.69million properties.
Once these new areas have been notified, households will only be able to upgrade, switch or take out new full fibre broadband or digital phone services – the aging copper line infrastructure will no longer be an option.
By January 2027, Brits will be making calls from home through their broadband.(Image: Getty Images)
Openreach said: “Stop Sell is triggered when a majority (75%) of premises connected to a particular exchange can access ultrafast Full Fibre. Customers wanting to switch, upgrade or re-grade their broadband or phone service will then need to take a new digital service over our Full Fibre network.”
It is said by early June this year, the new Stop Sell rules will be active across 1,432 exchanges nationwide, which impacts a whopping 14.2million households and properties.
James Lilley, Openreach’s managed customers migration director, said: “Our Stop Sell programme is a vital step in accelerating the UK’s transition to a modern full fibre future. As copper’s ability to support modern communications declines, the immediate focus is moving people onto newer, future-proof technologies.
“By phasing out legacy copper-based services in areas where fibre is widely available, we’re helping customers and providers migrate to faster, more reliable digital infrastructure.
“This also reduces the cost and complexity of maintaining both old and new networks ahead of the nationwide shutdown of the legacy copper-based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is now less than eight months away.”
As the Stop Sell rules are being rolled out in stages, a total of 37 areas in Scotland are set to no longer be offered copper landlines in the near future.
List of Scottish locations to be hit with Stop Sell rulesAberfoyleAnnanArdenAuchenmalgAuchengrayBredilandBuchlyvieCairngormCastle DouglasCraigieCrosshillDalchreichartDrymenDunfermlineDunscoreForthGourockHawickJedburghKilcregganKillearnKingswellsLangsideLatheronLochgellyMachrieMaddertyMauchlineNewton MearnsPolmontScotstounShettlestonStowTintoTummel BridgeWalkerburnWester HailesWhat is Digital Voice?
Created by BT, Digital Voice will allow homes to call through broadband technology. This will provide extra features unavailable for landline communications, such as three-way calling and call diversion to any other number.
Additionally, the call quality is set to be improved. It should be noted there is no extra charge of Digital Voice and it will be included in the household’s single package price.