Is the PSTN switch off the same as the copper switch off?

No — and this trips a lot of people up. The PSTN switch-off is about how your phone calls are transmitted. The technology will move from analogue to a digital service transmitted through the internet.

Separately, legacy broadband companies are also gradually upgrading copper broadband cables to full fibre, area by area, which is a different, longer project running into the early 2030s.

What's the difference between the PSTN switch off and the copper switch off?

The PSTN switch-off relates to traditional analogue phone services moving to digital technology. Copper retirement is a separate, longer-term programme that will gradually replace copper-based broadband and phone services with full fibre networks.

The final stage is when the copper network is switched off completely, expected in the mid 2030s. If you haven't moved to a fibre service by then, your broadband and telephone line may face disruption, become more expensive, or in some cases, stop working.