Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department taking to ensure infrastructural competition in gigabit access to multi dwelling units.

The Government has made clear its ambition for nationwide gigabit broadband as quickly as possible.

The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill, which has already entered the House, will support the delivery of gigabit access to multi-dwelling buildings, by providing a faster, cheaper route through the courts for operators faced with a landlord who is repeatedly unresponsive to their access request notices and a resident is seeking a service.

The provisions in the Bill will provide telecoms operators with access to the common areas of the building (the stairwells, corridors and basements) for the purpose of installing digital infrastructure.

This process is available to operators to use for access to all multi-dwelling buildings, including where an existing broadband service is currently available, and where the landlord has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for access.