After January 2027, the UK Copper Network is shutting down, meaning any of your business devices that rely on copper connections (such as landline phones, alarm systems, payment terminals, and DSL broadband) will be affected.  

What is the UK Copper Network Shutdown?

The phrase ‘Copper Switch Off’ is in reference to Openreach’s plan to shut down all its copper broadband and telephone line networks.  The copper network shut down is taking place on January 31st, 2027, meaning that phones and other devices relying on the old copper network will instead use internet technology.  

Switching to digital enables faster internet speeds, a more reliable connection, improved services, cleaner energy use, and it helps to future-proof infrastructure (with fibre being more scalable.)

What does that mean for your business?

Your network provider should be in touch with you to alert you of when your business can expect to switch to a digital system.  

It is important that when you’re in touch with your internet supplier that you make them aware of any systems you have that may be dependent on the copper network, as they may need to manually connect them or the device itself may need updating.

The majority of business in the UK already use a broadband internet service for their operations, and as such, will be unaffected. For the 22% of small businesses in the UK who are still defining themselves as ‘analogue’, there may be interruptions to their service and security risks if they do not update to a digital alternative.  

If your business relies on a copper line for broadband or the phone and you do not upgrade, you will lose service after the shut off date. However, there’s no reason to stress, as it if your service providers responsibility to keep you informed and to do so prior to the shut off.  

While the long-term running costs of the new broadband system is less, your business may still see some initial costs from the change.  

• Replacing or upgrading current phone systems which can entail new handsets, headsets, routers, and VoIP-compatible hardware

• Businesses on ADSL or FTTC broadbands may need to upgrade to full fibre (FTTP) for performance.

• Replacing or upgrading dependent services, such as alarm systems, fax machines and payment terminals with IP-compatible versions

Moving your business over to digital now ahead of the copper network shutdown can help you access the above benefits and keep your business moving forward.

Using finance for your digital transformation

Upgrading your systems ahead of the copper switch-off doesn’t have to mean a large upfront cost. Finance allows your business to spread the cost of new digital phones, IT infrastructure, payment systems, and more. This means you can keep cash flow intact while staying ahead of the January 2027 deadline.  Whether you need to modernise your telecoms setup or replace copper-dependent devices, using finance gives you the flexibility to act now and future-proof your business.

Got it covered?

Great! Most suppliers will cover the cost of the transfer, but if you were considering financing the cost anyway, there are several benefits to using a finance option over cash, including:  

• Spreading the cost of the investment over time and at a fixed cost.  

• Manageable monthly repayments.  

• Access to 100% tax benefits  

• Finance for 100% or part of your project cost.  

• Maintain cashflow within your business for further investment elsewhere.  

Interested?

Our online finance portal enables a simple, efficient route to finance - get a quick quote or apply for finance today.

Apply for finance now.

Here's what some of our technology partners have to say about working with Bluestone

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“Bluestone is a great company to work with, the team always go above and beyond to find a solution for our customers and are quick and efficient in response. As financial solutions are becoming increasingly more important to our customers, having great partners to support is vital.”

Loren Salmon, Financial Solutions Operations and Deputy Team Leader

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“Partnering with Bluestone has been invaluable to us – being able to provide our customers with the option to spread the cost of their technology projects over time has enabled us to secure more projects and gives them the opportunity to move forwards with their investments sooner than they might otherwise have been able to. We have been working with Bluestone for around three years now and during that time, have been able to support multiple customers with the opportunity to use finance for their technology requirements. Bluestone is always available to support our customers efficiently, working with them throughout the whole process and keeping things as simple as possible – we know we are leaving them in capable hands.”

Carl Nelson, Managing Director

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Funding for your business

Bluestone is an ethical and FCA-regulated finance intermediary. We are committed to ensuring that our clients make informed financial decisions based on their requirements and always recommend that our clients seek independent financial advice from an authorised source before committing to any financial agreements.  

If you would like to explore software finance solutions in more detail, get in touch using the enquiry form below, or contact us here. One of our friendly and experienced team will be in touch as soon as possible.

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