This study analyses the situation and progress toward deactivating the legacy copper network in 27 EU member states and the United Kingdom.

A very diversified picture emerges. Incumbent operators in some member states have started switching off their copper network, while others have not yet publicly declared their intention to do so.

In 12 countries, the incumbent operators have a plan for complete copper switch-off. This study excludes pilot projects.

In eight of these 12 countries the plans are publicly available, while in others (e.g. Portugal) the plan is confidential. Even where the plan is accepted by the NRA, there is no duty to publish it. In the Netherlands the plan is to switch off the copper network only in some areas.

Operators designated as having significant market power (SMP) are obliged to present a plan to the national regulator if they intend to switch off their copper network (article 81 of the European Electronic Communications Code, EECC). This does not mean that the plan also has to be published.

A national regulatory authority (NRA) cannot force an operator to switch off its copper network, nor can it impose a deadline to do so.

In Ireland there is no published plan yet, but the regulator and the SMP operator are in advanced talks about a copper switch-off plan.

In Romania the wholesale local access market has been deregulated. The incumbent operator started the switchoff in some areas, but no details are publicly available.

In Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden the incumbent operator set a target date to complete the copper switch-off process. In Finland, only one of the several incumbents did so.

No regulator in any of the researched countries has set a binding deadline for copper switch-off.

In Portugal and Sweden, the copper switch-off plan was approved by the regulator. In Belgium and the UK, the regulator did not explicitly approve the plan, but it expressed no objections against it.

The notice period for access seekers when wholesale access will be withdrawn varies significantly between countries due to the specific regulatory and market conditions. A wholesale product substitution matrix was provided by the NRA in Italy and Cyprus.

In Belgium, the regulator expressed no objections to the matrix presented by the incumbent.

In all the analysed countries, the incumbent can terminate retail contracts for copper-based services. It remains up to the end user to decide whether to subscribe to a fibre-based service instead, and from which operator.

Only in Cyprus and Italy, the incumbent must offer an equivalent fibre-based retail product at the same price.

Read the study on FTTH Council Europe's website