Openreach will increase the wholesale cost of its WLR (wholesale line rental) products from April 2026 to accelerate migration off the PSTN ahead of the January 2027 switch‑off. Prices will rise by 20% in April 2026, then to 40% above today’s level in July and 40% in October, effectively doubling costs within a year. The increases are accompanied by new and existing incentives to support migration, including free or discounted SOGEA connections for Communication Providers (CPs). Openreach has also introduced a “Prove Telecare” migration service for vulnerable users, which is intended to help telecare customers move to digital phone lines without losing access to their health devices.
From February 2027, Openreach plans to introduce an emergency, feature-light voice-only product over SOTAP Analogue for any remaining lines, reflecting its intention to switch off the PSTN on schedule.
