Openreach PSTN Sunset: Copper Price Surge Forces Migration, Homelab Impact Analyzed

Openreach has launched a three-stage price offensive against businesses clinging to copper-based phone lines, with cumulative charges doubling by October ahead of the January 2027 Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) shutdown. This forced migration impacts over 500,000 commercial lines and carries significant technical implications for homelab environments still dependent on analog infrastructure.

Legacy Product Phase-Out Timeline

Openreach ceased selling Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) products in 2023. The migration schedule now escalates financial pressure:

Effective Date	Price Increase	Cumulative Increase
April 1, 2026	+20%	120% of baseline
July 1, 2026	+40%	168% of baseline
October 1, 2026	+40%	235% of baseline

This pricing strategy explicitly targets lingering installations, making copper more expensive than fiber alternatives like SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access). James Lilley, Openreach Director of All-IP, states: "We are passing [maintenance] costs on to providers who continue to sell legacy products."

Homelab Technical Implications

Power Consumption Shifts: Traditional PSTN lines draw phantom power from exchanges (typically 48V DC), enabling basic phone functionality during local outages. Digital alternatives like SOGEA and SOTAP (Single Order Transitional Access Product) require local power for VoIP adapters or routers. This fundamentally changes backup power requirements:

• PSTN: Exchange-powered, survives local outages
• Digital: Router/VoIP adapter consumes 5-15W continuously
• UPS runtime calculations must now include voice gateway devices

Compatibility Challenges: Legacy devices face obsolescence:

• Analog modems/fax machines fail on VoIP without ATAs (Analog Telephone Adapters)
• Alarm systems require Prove Telecare validation for migration
• Serial consoles (RS-232) reliant on POTS lines need cellular or Ethernet alternatives

Migration Path Analysis

Openreach offers three primary pathways with distinct technical profiles:

1. SOGEA (Fiber Broadband Without Voice)

   • Requires Ethernet handoff
   • VoIP services via SIP trunking (e.g., Asterisk)
   • Latency: <10ms typical vs PSTN's 150ms
   • Power Draw: Adds 8-12W for gateway/router

2. SOTAP/PDPL (Pre-Digital Phone Line)

   • Exchange-side digital emulation of PSTN
   • Compatible with analog devices
   • Interim solution until 2030
   • No local power requirement

3. EVAC (Emergency Voice Access)

   • Basic voice-only fallback
   • Limited features, no broadband
   • Last-resort for non-migrated users

Homelab Migration Checklist

1. Inventory Legacy Devices: Document all PSTN-dependent equipment (alarms, modems, faxes)
2. Power Audit: Calculate additional UPS load for VoIP gateways
3. Test Digital Alternatives: Validate SIP trunks with Wireshark for QoS
4. Implement Redundancy: Deploy 4G failover for critical voice services
5. Monitor Latency: Use MTR diagnostics for VoIP performance

Openreach confirms all technical barriers are resolved, including telecare protections. Homelabbers managing on-prem PBXes or monitoring systems must prioritize migration before the October price surge. The copper sunset fundamentally alters power and connectivity paradigms for small-scale infrastructure.

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