Zen email about switching to full fibre

Currently on FTTC, my copper line runs around the side of the house to a back bedroom partially over a conservatory, so worried there could be a complication about switching to fibre.


Email i got from zen this week.

Openreach, the company that runs the UK's phone network, is closing its old copper network at the end of January 2027. Your broadband currently runs over this network, so we need to move you to a modern replacement before then to keep you connected.

This change is happening across the industry and affects broadband services still delivered over the old network.

What's changing?

We'll move your broadband to full fibre, Zen's fastest and most reliable connection type.

Full fibre can provide faster downloads and a more reliable connection for things like streaming and video calls. We’ll be in touch nearer the time to confirm your move date.

Your phone line

Full fibre uses a new connection rather than the copper line you use today, so this move won’t affect your phone service. Your phone line with your current provider will continue as normal.

So i contacted Zen tech support asking if my install would be an issue but they claimed its just about switching off pots and my connection would be the same contradicting the email.

anyone know who's right and if switching to fibre will my setup be an issue?

Openreach's PSTN and ISDN will close at the end of January 2027, thereby ending Openreach's traditional broadband products, which included an analogue landline. However, SOADSL (ADSL with no analogue landline), SOGEA (FTTC with no analogue landline), and SOGFAST (G.Fast with no analogue landline) will remain available from Openreach. The restrictions on new connections to these products for premises served by FTTP in FTTP Priority areas do not affect migrations from a broadband plus landline product to the equivalent broadband only product.

If you still have an analogue landline, Zen needs to do something. If not, then you could stay as you are. I would therefore argue that Zen's email is misleading and Zen Tech Support is right.

However, there is one wrinkle. Zen, like several other ISPs, has chosen not to support SOGFAST, so G.Fast customers must upgrade to FTTP if it is available, downgrade to SOGEA or move to an ISP that supports SOGFAST.

Openreach is heavily incentivising ISPs to switch their customers to FTTP whenever possible. I understand your concerns about installing FTTP, but you will have to move eventually, so why not do it now? Zen's FTTP may even save you money compared to your existing broadband product.

If you move to FTTP, the fibre will likely have to follow a different route than the existing copper.

@Deadite66

The ONT that Openreach would install if you went for Full Fibre does not need to be co-located with the router. The ONT and router are connected by an ethernet cable which can be up to 100 metres long, (85 metres is the max recommended though). This cable must be CAT5E spec or higher.

The ONT is the interface between the fibre and ethernet connection to your router and will need a 13A power socket within about 1 metre of it. The ONT is the end of the Openreach circuit and the limit of their responsibility.

If you need the router to stay in its current location, one option would be to arrange for an ethernet cable to be run from wherever the ONT is fitted to your preferrred router location. External grade ethernet cables are available, but neither Zen nor Openreach will arrange this for you - you will have to either do it yourself or get someone in to do it.

Just to give us the full picture, who provides your landline phone at the moment?

Not that channel distance is likely to be reached in most residences, but where did you pluck 85 metres from?

All standards on any grade of copper cable from Cate5e onwards, for GbE and 2.5 GbE (the most likely connection speeds on Openreach ONTs) will be up to a cabling channel distance of 100 metres.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

but where did you pluck 85 metres from?

It was something our IT department advised us many, many years ago, when planning the remote control of our equipment from another part of the building, to allow a safety margin.

I have since seen it mentioned in other forums as a rule of thumb.

Edited by MK65 (Fri 02-Oct-26 09:45:26)

If the fixed cabling is installed correctly (and properly tested/certified - either a basic link test or better yet a full channel test - - any commercial installation that is worth its salt will have these at a minimum) categorically that is not correct. Standards and specifications for Ethernet over fixed cabling have existing for decades from both ISO and EIA/TIA

Unfortunately repeating poor advice from forums, doesn’t make it correct either. Definitely not a rule of thumb.

Landline is BT, i never use the landline phone only use the internet with Zen.

In reply to a post by Deadite66:

Landline is BT, i never use the landline phone only use the internet with Zen.

Ask Zen - categorically in writing - "are you guys migrating me to FTTP or SOGEA?"

There can only be one answer.

The email is quite misleading,
Openreach don’t run the phone network they run the access network, Openreach are not closing its copper network, but the PSTN (telephone network) is being retired, Zen may need (or more likely) want to move you off copper because you are on a legacy shared metallic path facility (SMPF) and you have been paying two providers , paying more than if you had a single supplier , Zen could have supplied you with both services as part of your broadband fee , so you could have removed BT years ago and used just Zen .
I’m assuming Zen supplying telephone and broadband would have been more acceptable to you than BT supplying your broadband and telephone.

You can’t stay on this SMPF arrangement any longer as it’s affected by the PSTN retirement, so it was a matter of time before BT or Zen invited you to decide to do something but staying as you are is not an option …Zen are only proposing to do something with the broadband side of your shared metallic path , in that they want to move you onto FTTP , because they can do that independently of your SMPF , which will revert to telephone only from BT .

I suspect this Zen communication being disingenuous isn’t really an issue for you , it’s more the practicality, the FTTP they are offering to arrange is in effect a brand new service , the copper cable can’t come down at the same time as the optical cable goes up as your telephony from BT requires it , and Zen can’t cease that for you, if you want that gone you need to do something about that yourself.


You don’t need the new optical cable to follow the same route into the rear bedroom unless that’s what you want , but the tech won’t climb onto your conservatory roof to install it , so perhaps accept you may need to have a different ingress point into the building or bedroom , you can always run your own Ethernet cable from the new FTTP ONT to the router location or move your router to another location

If you don’t want FTTP in those circumstances, I’d call BT to cease your telephone, this will cease your Zen FTTC broadband, then reorder broadband (with Zen if that’s your preference) but as SoGEA , copper /fibre broadband without telephony, and not FTTP , this keeps your existing copper wire in use , it just won’t have BT telephone on it , this also will save you money , but as it’s something you could have done years ago , presumably this was never a priority for you .

Edited by Iniltous (Fri 02-Oct-26 17:10:47)

Just been through this with Zen. We were migrated onto a SOGEA circuit as no fibre was available. No new hardware installed or wiring changes.

My second line (BT) has no internet on it and was migrated in the exchange to a different line card. FTTP was not available, and not planned for another three years minimum. The only change for me was that all dialled calls need the dialling code now.

A relative is in the same situation and their BT phone is being taken over by Zen (existing ISP) and the circuit migrated. They still use their phone so that will require a Zen call package (much cheaper than BT)

You don’t have to go to fibre if you don’t want to as it is only the PSTN that is changing.

In reply to a post by MercuryRH2:

The only change for me was that all dialled calls need the dialling code now.

That will be the same for everyone on Openreach lines come February - even those migrated to the interim 'safety net' Pre-Digital Phone Line (PDPL) / Emergency Voice Access (eVAC) services will have to dial using an area code.

Gone will be the days of local dealing.

Not a new thing for many , having to use the full national number has been in place for quite some time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14833248
What’s more , it’s been a very long time since calls were categorised as local and national, with charging bands reflecting the distance to the called party, a call to your next door neighbour costs the same as a call from Land’s End to John o’Groats .

Edited by Iniltous (Sat 03-Oct-26 15:13:28)

In reply to a post by MercuryRH2:

Just been through this with Zen. We were migrated onto a SOGEA circuit as no fibre was available. No new hardware installed or wiring changes.

My second line (BT) has no internet on it and was migrated in the exchange to a different line card. FTTP was not available, and not planned for another three years minimum. The only change for me was that all dialled calls need the dialling code now.

A relative is in the same situation and their BT phone is being taken over by Zen (existing ISP) and the circuit migrated. They still use their phone so that will require a Zen call package (much cheaper than BT)

You don’t have to go to fibre if you don’t want to as it is only the PSTN that is changing.

If the OP has a PRICE for life guarantee from Zen migrating to SOGEA won't affect that price promise as its same Product and address, no OR charges for that as it would be a Remote software migration, , If they migrate you to a full fibre product you loose that price promise ,

I do have price for life.

this was the extra bit of the email i didn't include in my OP.

Your price and your Price for Life

Your price won’t change because of this move.

You'll keep paying £35.40 per month, and your Price for Life guarantee will continue on your new service.

Your contract

There's no change to your contract either. This is simply an upgrade to the technology behind your connection, and your existing terms will stay the same.

Edited by Deadite66 (Sat 03-Oct-26 16:44:32)

£35.40 per month plus line rental to BT is a very high price for FTTC, and it's also more than most SOGEA services cost which include the copper pair. I wouldn't place any value at all on retaining that "price for life" offer.

Edited by jpm (Sun 04-Oct-26 13:13:04)

I've paid £30 for 10yrs with no voice service from Zen and my price would increase to £33 and i would loose price for life if i agreed to a full fibre 100/20 product, (or i could stay on FTTC and be migrated to SOGEA No changes
the e-mail they sent was titled :You're moving to full fibre and your price is changing, Lucky for Zen i had already ordered the 900 full fibre product for £39 per month, was on offer

Edited by tommy45 (Sun 04-Oct-26 15:02:36)

In reply to a post by MercuryRH2:

The only change for me was that all dialled calls need the dialling code now.

this has been the norm for a while now(2012) for some areas like bournemouth.

There is no separate line rental charge. It’s built in. The £34.50 is all you pay (as do I). Switching to FTTP does lose the Price for Life though.

The OP stated the landline is BT and the email from Zen pointed out the installation of FTTP would not affect the OP’s phone service on the copper pair , this the information together suggests the OP has SMPF , (which wasn’t contradicted by the OP ) so separate BT line rental and Zen broadband charges (the definition of SMPF )
The Zen broadband only price (even if it’s a price for life ) in addition to the BT line rental price makes the total price likely to be pretty expensive compared to a single supplier for both

Edited by Iniltous (Tue 06-Oct-26 18:56:09)

In reply to a post by Iniltous:

The OP stated the landline is BT and the email from Zen pointed out the installation of FTTP would not affect the OP’s phone service on the copper pair , this the information together suggests the OP has SMPF , (which wasn’t contradicted by the OP ) so separate BT line rental and Zen broadband charges (the definition of SMPF )
The Zen broadband only price (even if it’s a price for life ) in addition to the BT line rental price makes the total price likely to be pretty expensive compared to a single supplier for both

I Pay line rental to PULSE 8, When i joined many years ago it was around £12 per month, plus any calls i made as 1p per min for calls to landline numbers, Whilst BT retail were charging way more, Zen didn't include calls for that £34.60 iicr so not cheaper if you used the landline to make calls, but like everything line rental has increased , Currently around £20 per month So i'll save a few quid,even if i keep my ll number with A&A