As many people will realise, Openreach were slow to provide any fibre services to connected properties on the Balfour Telephone Exchange, via their 'Fibre To The Cabinet' (FTTC) product. However with the national rollout of FULL Fibre, customers should check with BT Broadband and confirm if Full Fibre is now available to residents living near the Balfour Exchange.
Check Availability with BT Broadband for local services from the Balfour Telephone Exchange
| BT Product * | Speed | Reward Value ** | Deal Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superfast Fibre 2 | 50-73Mbps | £60 BT Reward Card | 17th April 2026 |
| Full Fibre 150 | 150Mbps | £85 BT Reward Card | 17th April 2026 |
| Full Fibre 300 | 300Mbps | £90 BT Reward Card | 17th April 2026 |
| Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps | £100 BT Reward Card | 17th April 2026 |
| Full Fibre 900 | 900Mbps | £150 BT Reward Card | 17th April 2026 |
* All packages on 24 Month Contract
** A BT Virtual Reward Card is a pre-loaded, digital Mastercard given as a bonus with certain BT broadband deals, allowing you to spend the loaded amount online or over the phone anywhere Mastercard is accepted, without waiting for a physical card. It functions like a prepaid debit card, with details (card number, CVV, expiry) accessed via your online BT account, and you typically claim it after your new service is fully installed and past the cooling-off period. Its value typically ranges from £50 to £150. To qualify for the card, you need to order a product or service from BT online.
Local Authority = Orkney Islands Council
UK area dialling code (STD code) for the Balfour exchange is 01856
International dialling code for the Balfour exchange is +44 1856 or 0044 1856
The Balfour exchange is in the Orkney group of exchanges.
17 telephone exchanges form this regional grouping.
Balfour
Located at :-
British Telecom,
Telephone Exchange,
Balfour,
ORKNEY.
KW17 2EA
/// what3words geocode = Establish Rollover Dupe
Balfour -> Orkney Islands -> Scotland
See Location Map Below
Openreach and the wider UK telecoms industry are retiring the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and associated copper-based services as part of the move to an all-digital, internet-protocol (IP) based network.
The PSTN and associated wholesale copper services - including traditional analogue phone lines, ISDN2, ISDN30 and other legacy products - are being withdrawn.
These services historically relied on copper wiring connected from exchanges to premises. They will be replaced with digital alternatives such as Full Fibre (FTTP) and IP-based broadband services like SOGEA, SOGFAST and other All-IP products.
Originally planned for December 2025, the final withdrawal of the PSTN network has been rescheduled to 31 January 2027 to give more time for migration, particularly for vulnerable customers and specialist services. By this date, all legacy services that depend on the PSTN must be transitioned off the copper network.
On 9th October 2024 Openreach declared the Balfour Exchange, Pierowall as a 'FTTP Priority Exchange' as part of their Tranche 18 list of exchanges and issued a 'Stop Sell' notice effective from Thursday 6th November 2025
Stop Sell is triggered when a majority (75%) of premises connected to a particular exchange can get ultrafast Full Fibre. Customers who then want to switch, upgrade or re-grade their broadband or phone service will have to take a new digital service over their new Full Fibre network.
