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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure new-build homes come with gigabit-speed broadband.

We are committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible, and it is a priority to ensure that new homes are built with fast, reliable and resilient broadband.

We laid The Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 in Parliament on 26 September 2022. This statutory instrument amends Building Regulations to ensure that the construction of new homes in England includes the installation of gigabit-ready infrastructure, and the installation of gigabit-capable connections where this can be provided within a cost cap of £2,000 per dwelling.

The new requirements come into force on 26 December 2022, and will help to ensure that new homes are future-proofed and have access to Gigabit broadband at the point of construction, giving more people the connectivity they want and need without costly and disruptive installation work after the home is built.

Where a gigabit capable connection is not available without breaching the cost cap, the next fastest connection available within the cost cap must be installed. The cost cap does not apply to the requirement for developers to install gigabit-ready infrastructure, which must be installed to ensure that the new homes are future-proofed.

We are working with the Devolved Administrations to ensure consistency across the UK, as far as possible.