Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress has been made on the Shared Rural Network arrangements to improve (a) outdoor and (b) indoor 4G coverage in (i) Essex and (ii) Witham constituency.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This Government is taking steps to improve both 4G and 5G coverage across the country.
Improvements in 4G coverage have already started to be delivered through the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, which is targeting areas of the country with partial or no coverage. This agreement will see the government and industry jointly invest over £1 billion to increase outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK to 95% by the end of 2025. All four MNOs expect to increase coverage in both Witham and the East of England as they fill partial ‘not spots’ in these areas.
In addition to the SRN, the mobile network operators invest around £2 billion annually in enhancing and improving their networks.
In our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April this year, we set out the Government’s vision for wireless connectivity and shared a new ambition for nationwide coverage of higher quality standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030. This provides a long-term ambition to help the private sector invest in 5G networks by supporting competition, driving down deployment costs and driving the take-up of innovative, 5G-enabled tech by the business and the public sector.
The Department provides extensive guidance for local authorities and operators to help facilitate broadband and mobile deployment through the Digital Connectivity Portal. We have also taken steps to make it easier and cheaper for operators to deploy 4G and 5G. This includes reforming the planning system in England. Alongside this, measures within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, will support upgrades of sites to 5G.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
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 improve (a) 4G and (b) 5G coverage in (i) Essex and (ii) Witham constituency.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This Government is taking steps to improve both 4G and 5G coverage across the country.
Improvements in 4G coverage have already started to be delivered through the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, which is targeting areas of the country with partial or no coverage. This agreement will see the government and industry jointly invest over £1 billion to increase outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK to 95% by the end of 2025. All four MNOs expect to increase coverage in both Witham and the East of England as they fill partial ‘not spots’ in these areas.
In addition to the SRN, the mobile network operators invest around £2 billion annually in enhancing and improving their networks.
In our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April this year, we set out the Government’s vision for wireless connectivity and shared a new ambition for nationwide coverage of higher quality standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030. This provides a long-term ambition to help the private sector invest in 5G networks by supporting competition, driving down deployment costs and driving the take-up of innovative, 5G-enabled tech by the business and the public sector.
The Department provides extensive guidance for local authorities and operators to help facilitate broadband and mobile deployment through the Digital Connectivity Portal. We have also taken steps to make it easier and cheaper for operators to deploy 4G and 5G. This includes reforming the planning system in England. Alongside this, measures within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, will support upgrades of sites to 5G.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of how many households are affected by the retirement of the public switched telephone Network; and what steps she is taking with telecommunications providers to support vulnerable people so affected.
Answered by John Whittingdale
According to Ofcom’s latest figures, as of August 2023, more than 50% of the UK’s 30 million premises have already been moved from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The remaining phone lines will be moved by the telecoms industry in a phased migration between now and the end of 2025.
Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, which includes protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline and provide them with additional support.
Providers have a range of solutions to ensure vulnerable consumers receive additional support. These options include, for example: free battery back-up units; engineer supported installations; or hybrid landline phones. The Government is working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate support and are protected throughout the migration.
My Department meets regularly with Communications Providers to monitor their migration process, and to ensure adequate provisions are in place to protect vulnerable consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, quarterly progress meetings with individual providers, quarterly meetings with all government departments/agencies, and monthly meetings with Ofcom.