Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, When he expects the mobile infrastructure project to be completed.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The news release issued on MIP in July last year referred to sites being acquired and built by 2015. Intensive work is continuing to deliver coverage to areas currently without, and this project remains a high priority for the Government. Providing coverage to some of the more remote and sensitive locations has been challenging but this project has brought together the four mobile network operators for the first time to find solutions. Proposals and timeframes to tackle these issues and to secure long term mobile coverage capabilities for the future are being finalised with further communications expected in the autumn.Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) masts are operational and (b) premises receive a mobile signal as a result of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The first site to go live was Weaverthorpe in North Yorkshire in September 2013, providing coverage to over 200 premises in North Yorkshire. The second site has been built in North Molton in Devon and will be operational shortly, estimated to reach more than 200 premises. Once potential sites have been identified, network connections need to be found, sites need to be acquired and planning consent achieved. This work is underway and ongoing.Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many masts will be erected in Cambridgeshire as part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Mobile Infrastructure Project implementation plan identified seven potential masts for Cambridgeshire. Coverage by the mobile network operators has shifted as they begin roll out of 4G, leading to improvements in coverage in some areas and changes in the number and locations of not spots. DCMS officials and Arqiva, delivery partner for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, are incorporating these changes into the project's planning. Once this planning is finalised any changes will be communicated to planning authorities.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of how many premises in Cambridgeshire will benefit from the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
We expect that over 150 premises in Cambridgeshire will benefit from the Mobile Infrastructure Project. The build of all masts under the Mobile Infrastructure Project is dependent on a number of unknown factors for each potential mast, including finding a willing landlord for the mast and obtaining planning permission.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many masts are operational in Cambridgeshire as a result of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
There are not yet any masts operational in Cambridgeshire. We estimate that work will commence on Cambridgeshire masts over the coming months. The build of all masts under the Mobile Infrastructure Project is dependent on a number of unknown factors for each potential mast, including finding a willing landlord for the mast and obtaining planning permission.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government will publish its response to the Law Commission's recommendations for reform of the Electronic Communications Code.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Since the Law Commission published its report on the reform of the Electronic Communications Code in February 2013, my Department has been considering the implications of the recommendations on network rollout and service provision to consumers. In January 2014 we published an economic analysis of the impact of various wayleave valuation regimes. A copy of this report has been placed in the House of Commons library. The analysis work is ongoing and I will make public the plans to reform the Electronic Communications Code, and respond to the Law Commission's report, in due course.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how his Department is monitoring the roll-out of 4G telephone coverage; and who is conducting that monitoring.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Department does not directly monitor mobile coverage. Ofcom undertakes monitoring of mobile coverage and ensures compliance by the mobile network operators with any coverage obligations included in their spectrum licences. We expect the 4G rollout to be the fastest and most complete rollout in the EU, and this will ensure the UK continues to have some of the best mobile services in Europe.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the progress of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
I hold regular meetings with supplier Arqiva to discuss the Mobile Infrastructure Project and officials in BDUK are in constant contact with Arqiva to monitor and assess progress.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what spot data Ofcom holds for Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Ofcom compile data on coverage from the mobile network operators to feed into their Infrastructure Report. In March this year Ofcom commissioned updated voice coverage data from the operators to feed into planning for the Mobile Infrastructure Project. This data covers the UK, including Cambridgeshire, and highlights areas with no coverage from any operator, or ‘not spots'. The Mobile Infrastructure Project aims to put in place infrastructure to provide coverage to as many not spots containing premises as possible.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of mobile telephone coverage in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Department does not directly monitor mobile coverage. Ofcom undertakes monitoring of mobile coverage and ensures compliance by the mobile network operators with any coverage obligations included in their spectrum licences. Ofcom's most recent coverage figures, published in December 2013, indicate that 99.8% of premises in Cambridgeshire receive signal from at least one mobile operator, and 89.6% from all four operators.