Britain's BT may be able to secure more than 2 billion pounds ($3.7 trillion won) from copper recovered as it removes its ageing copper telephone network. Legacy communications infrastructure once set for disposal as part of a shift to fibre is emerging as a new revenue source as copper prices rise.

On Sept. 1, tech outlet Engadget reported that the value of the copper BT is reclaiming could rise from about 1.5 billion pounds ($2.77 trillion won) to above 2 billion pounds. Prices have risen as global demand for copper increases rapidly, driven by expansion of artificial intelligence data centres, renewable energy investment and growing electrification demand. Expectations that copper demand will rise sharply over the next 10 years are also supporting the outlook for higher value.

BT subsidiary Openreach is replacing the existing copper-based network with a fibre network. Openreach plans to connect 30,000,000 households to fibre by the end of 2030. In this process, it recovered about 10,000 metric tons of copper in the most recent fiscal year alone, taking the cumulative total since 2023 to more than 22,000 metric tons.

The recovered copper is also translating into cash revenue. BT has a contract with cable recycling firm EMR and is selling the copper, and it received an advance payment of 99,000,000 pounds ($183.0 billion won) for recently recovered volumes. It is not only removing old networks, but also turning infrastructure that had been set for disposal into funds.

Openreach sustainability head Abbie Chicken (애비 치킨) described copper as "one of the most strategic materials in the modern economy". That reflects how copper is emerging as an important asset in replacing various infrastructure, including communications networks, as AI data centres and power infrastructure continue to expand.

Still, higher copper prices are also creating side effects. As old wired telephone cables become more valuable, they have become a target for thieves, and in some areas entire cables have disappeared, causing communications outages. Openreach applied synthetic DNA and ultraviolet tracking markings to some cables in response.

BT's old copper network is disappearing into history as the company shifts to fibre, but the economic value of copper recovered in the dismantling process is growing. If copper prices continue to rise, the revenue BT can secure while clearing ageing infrastructure is expected to increase further from initial estimates.