BT's old copper network could be worth over $2 billion

BT expects to generate more than £2 billion ($2.7 billion) by recycling copper from its legacy landline network as it replaces the copper with full-fiber broadband for 30 million homes by 2030. The company has already recovered over 22,000 metric tons of copper since 2023 and received an upfront £99 million from recycler EMR, while rising metal prices have spurred theft and prompted Openreach to mark cables with synthetic DNA and UV tracers.