First, for technological reasons: fiber optics offer much higher transmission speeds than copper, often limited to a maximum of 1 Gbps, while fiber can reach several Gbps. The same applies to bandwidth, which is limited and suited to traditional uses on copper, whereas fiber provides a much wider capacity, capable of supporting advanced services (4K, 8K, VR) and offering far greater scalability. Modern uses require very low latency, ideal for real-time applications, which high-speed solutions such as fiber can provide. Finally, another key difference lies in transmission distance, which has no impact on fiber performance, unlike copper, where quality quickly degrades.
From an economic perspective, copper is more prone to wear and damage than FTTH, which requires less maintenance over time. Installation costs remain higher for fiber, but economies of scale are expected to offset this in the long term, especially with a technology far more scalable than copper, which is over 50 years old.
Lastly and most importantly, for clear environmental reasons, operators can no longer afford to maintain two parallel networks, especially since fiber consumes four times less electricity than copper for transmission. At a time when reducing carbon footprint is becoming a strategic priority for operators, shifting to less energy-intensive technologies is essential.
Copper network: What are the key challenges for a successful shutdown?
Faced with growing customer needs in terms of usage and services, operators must adapt and upgrade their networks, particularly towards very high-speed broadband, while ensuring they can offer all households a better replacement solution in terms of both services and pricing, to avoid losing customers during the technological transition. This commercial opportunity remains a “high churn risk” period for operators, while also offering several potential benefits.
End of copper: New business opportunities to seize
Beyond improved reliability and significantly higher speeds, the arrival of very high-speed technologies (5G, fiber) will enable new services (IoT, smart cities, industrial applications) and a broader range of solutions such as cloud services, streaming, and augmented/virtual reality. Operators will benefit from hybrid solutions combining fiber and 5G to optimize coverage and network capacity, resulting in greater flexibility, cost optimization, and improved user experience. With much higher bandwidth, operators will be able to diversify revenue streams and create more opportunities to retain customers through these new offerings. Finally, this transition to very high-speed solutions will provide strategic opportunities through new collaborations with technological and financial partners, accelerating deployment and innovation in growing markets.
Copper network shutdown: Additional challenges to anticipate now
Achieving 10 to 15% CO2 savings through copper shutdown is significant in the race to reduce carbon footprints. However, dismantling the network is costly and must be financed through revenues generated by copper recycling to maximize value. A key factor is securing copper assets and effectively combating theft and material loss, which remains a major issue in many regions, including Europe, North America, and Asia. Despite prevention efforts, due to its high market value and strong demand in recycling markets, copper is often stolen from public infrastructures (power grids, telecommunications, railways) and private sites (construction sites, buildings, etc.). Strengthening security, marking copper, and increasing surveillance are essential to prevent losses and their consequences, such as service interruptions, high repair and security costs, public safety risks, and growing customer dissatisfaction. Finally, technical skills related to copper are gradually disappearing among operators, requiring anticipation in terms of training and change management.
How to turn the challenge into an opportunity?
Successfully managing such a technological transition requires complex end-to-end operational management, involving coordination among many stakeholders—from project launch to final recycling, including shutdown phases, deployment of replacement solutions, and dismantling. The operator’s challenge is to support customers in adopting new solutions while optimizing OPEX, reducing carbon footprint, and making the project a success in terms of circular economy.
Orange has been facing this challenge for several years (France, Romania, Poland) by implementing a strategic program that manages all these aspects and teams involved in the shutdown.
Through Sofrecom, a partner in this project, we can support you in this major commercial, technological, sustainable, and human opportunity.
