Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to ensure the adequacy of mobile connectivity in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency before the switch-off of the public switched telephone network.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Opinions vary as to what constitutes ‘good’ mobile connectivity and I have raised my concerns about the reporting of connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024), 4G indoor premises coverage is available from all four mobile operators in 68% of premises in your constituency, with 97% from at least one. This leaves 3% of premises (around 1,500 premises) with no 4G indoor coverage from any operator. Premises includes all buildings not just homes.
Through the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver 4G mobile connectivity to places where there is either limited or no coverage at all.
Whilst the transition from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol is an industry-led process, Ofcom and Government are working together with communications providers to ensure consumers and sectors are protected and prepared for the upgrade process.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the number of properties in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency without good mobile connectivity.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Opinions vary as to what constitutes ‘good’ mobile connectivity and I have raised my concerns about the reporting of connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024), 4G indoor premises coverage is available from all four mobile operators in 68% of premises in your constituency, with 97% from at least one. This leaves 3% of premises (around 1,500 premises) with no 4G indoor coverage from any operator. Premises includes all buildings not just homes.
Through the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver 4G mobile connectivity to places where there is either limited or no coverage at all.
Whilst the transition from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol is an industry-led process, Ofcom and Government are working together with communications providers to ensure consumers and sectors are protected and prepared for the upgrade process.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to ensure that there is no enforced switch off of the public switched telephone network before he has made an assessment of the impact of this change on rural communities in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is determined to ensure that any and all risks incurred during the industry-led migration from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol are mitigated. On 18 November 2024, the Department published guidance for communication providers on how to identify and support customers when their landline migrates. This includes customers who are landline dependent, many of which live in rural communities.
The Department also published a checklist of activities that communication providers should take before migrating customers to voice over internet protocol without their active consent. We expect providers to meet the safeguards set out in this checklist to keep customers – including those in rural communities - safe throughout the migration.
Ofcom reports that 2024 saw 45% more service incidents on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) compared to 2023, resulting in a 55% increase in the number of service hours lost. Retaining the PSTN would increase the risks of outages which would have a negative impact on consumers.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the public switched telephone network switch-off on rural communities in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is determined to ensure that any and all risks incurred during the industry-led migration from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol are mitigated. On 18 November 2024, the Department published guidance for communication providers on how to identify and support customers when their landline migrates. This includes customers who are landline dependent, many of which live in rural communities.
The Department also published a checklist of activities that communication providers should take before migrating customers to voice over internet protocol without their active consent. We expect providers to meet the safeguards set out in this checklist to keep customers – including those in rural communities - safe throughout the migration.
Ofcom reports that 2024 saw 45% more service incidents on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) compared to 2023, resulting in a 55% increase in the number of service hours lost. Retaining the PSTN would increase the risks of outages which would have a negative impact on consumers.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his Department's planned timetable is for making a decision on whether the parishes of (a) Warcop, (b) Hilton, (c) Murton and (d) Ormside will be included in Project Gigabit.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
A Project Gigabit contract for Cumbria has been awarded to the broadband supplier Fibrus. Discussion on the inclusion of the parishes of Warcop, Hilton, Murton and Ormside within the contract is currently underway with Fibrus, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of December 2024.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an estimate of the percentage of properties in Westmorland and Lonsdale which will have Gigabit availability by the end of Project Gigabit.
Answered by Julia Lopez
As part of Project Gigabit, in November 2022 we awarded a £109 million contract to the supplier Fibrus to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to up to 59,000 premises across Cumbria that are not included in suppliers’ commercial plans.
By the end of the contract, it is expected that over 99% of premises in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency will have access to a gigabit-capable connection, through both subsidised and commercial delivery. This is a huge leap in gigabit-capable coverage across the constituency, which currently stands at slightly over 48%.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the number of postcode premises in Cumbria County Council that will be classified as White under Project Gigabit's classification system by the end of Project Gigabit in 2025.
Answered by Julia Lopez
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many properties in Cumbria County Council within the scope of Project Gigabit will not be connected by 2025.
Answered by Julia Lopez
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many properties in Cumbria County Council are within the scope of Project Gigabit.
Answered by Julia Lopez
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.