Study: Portugal, Sweden, Spain lead EU copper switch-off
January 15, 2025

Portugal, Spain and Sweden are leading the pack when it comes to phasing out legacy copper networks in Europe, a study from the FTTH Council Europe has revealed.
Launched at the FTTH Council Europe’s Policy Dialogue event, the Copper Switch-Off Tracker has been created in cooperation with independent regulatory intelligence provider Cullen International to show the progress 27 EU member states (and the UK) are making toward adopting full-fibre broadband infrastructure.
While the report praises operators in Portugal, Spain and Sweden who have mostly discontinued their copper networks, the report also reveals that other member states, including Germany, Greece and Czech Republic, still rely heavily on old copper infrastructure.
“We believe that fibre networks are fundamental to the digital transformation of Europe,” said FTTH Council Europe President, Roshene McCool. “Phasing out copper networks for fibre infrastructure will lower energy consumption and reduce overall operating costs, therefore making a great contribution to the achievement of the EU’s Digital Decade objectives”.
The tracker and report highlights that in only 12 countries do the incumbent operators have a plan for complete copper switch-off. In eight of these 12 countries the plans are publicly available, while in others (e.g. Portugal) the plan is confidential.
“As European institutions shape their policy agenda for the 2024-2029 cycle, this new and comprehensive analysis will support the digital transformation of Europe’s economy and aid the development of an efficient and sustainable high-performance connectivity ecosystem,” commented Vincent Garnier, Director General at the FTTH Council Europe.
By providing regular updates, the Copper Switch-Off tracker will offer an up-to-date snapshot of the in-roads made by countries in their copper-to-fibre transition. The FTTH Council Europesays it is looking forward to monitoring this progression in aid of a future competitive European fibre market.