Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve mobile connectivity in a) Mid and South Pembrokeshire and b) Tenby.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.
We expect this ambition to be delivered through commercial rollout plans from the network operators. Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure their continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks and that this translates into benefits for communities right across the UK, as well as identifying and addressing barriers to deployment where they exist and it is practical to do so.
In Ofcom’s Connected Nations Annual Report, published on 19 November 2025, it is reported that 4G is available across 90% of the Mid and South Pembrokeshire constituency from all four operators, while 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone) is available outside 87% of premises in the constituency from at least one MNO.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that Physical Infrastructure Access fees structures enable the wider roll out of full fibre broadband to rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to delivering 2030 nationwide gigabit connectivity, including in rural areas. The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via access to Openreach’s ducts, poles, and other utility infrastructure, through the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) framework.
Ofcom governs the PIA framework, with powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third party infrastructure access on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA fee pricing structure.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) potential impact of Physical Infrastructure Access fees on the rollout of full fibre broadband to rural areas by Alternative Network Providers and (b) the adequacy of the Physical Infrastructure Access fee pricing structure.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to delivering 2030 nationwide gigabit connectivity, including in rural areas. The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via access to Openreach’s ducts, poles, and other utility infrastructure, through the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) framework.
Ofcom governs the PIA framework, with powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third party infrastructure access on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA fee pricing structure.