Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Physical Infrastructure Access fees on the rollout of high speed broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.
For this reason, while we are engaging with Ofcom on this issue, the Department has not made any formal assessment of the impact of PIA fees on the roll-out of high-speed broadband in rural areas.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support the rollout of high speed broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.
More than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband. These premises fall predominantly in rural areas.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband in Cornwall.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, over 71% of premises in Cornwall currently have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the UK Space Agency will renew funding to Goonhilly Earth Station for its bilateral pilot with the US when that funding runs out in March.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The current contract between the UK Space Agency and Goonhilly Earth Station is worth up to £2 million this financial year (24/25) which includes £1.4million of funding towards the Deep Space Monitoring contract for Goonhilly to work with twelve unique missions operated by international partners. This is already delivering on the benefits of expanding existing UK capabilities, unlocking new and emerging markets and supporting the growing lunar economy. Decisions on future spend for Goonhilly Earth Station for its bilateral pilot with the US are being considered as part of the 2025 spending review.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the space industry in Cornwall.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
During the current spending period, the Government has invested over £6.9 million to support the Cornwall region to develop its local space capabilities, enabling Spaceport Cornwall to conduct the first ever orbital launch attempt from UK soil and supporting Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd to deliver deep space commercial services. The cluster is also being supported to attract investment from international space companies, and progress Cornwall’s strategic ambitions to become a global leader in satellite operations and communications and the testing and development of spaceflight systems.