Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mobile phone coverage in rural areas; and what steps he is taking to tackle gaps in mobile and broadband connectivity in Oake in Somerset.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This includes rural communities such as Oake, as well as towns and cities.

In their Connected Nations Spring update (13 May 2026), Ofcom reported that as of January 2026, 82% of the UK’s rural landmass has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, while standalone 5G is available outside of 76% of UK rural premises from at least one operator.

The rollout of higher quality standalone 5G is commercially led by the network operators, and all three have committed significant investment plans which align with the Government’s ambition. Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess what further action Government can take to support the sector to invest in comprehensive, high-quality connectivity; we expect to set out next steps later this year. Government also remains committed to unlocking the barriers to telecoms deployment, including supporting mobile network rollout through our recent call for evidence on planning reform in England. We are considering responses and will determine next steps in due course.

Alongside our work to deliver high-quality mobile connectivity right across the UK, we also have a target to deliver nationwide (99%) gigabit broadband coverage by 2032. We have created a competition-friendly environment in areas where deployment is commercially viable, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially. Via Project Gigabit we are focusing Government funds on the remaining areas of the country, to tackle gaps in broadband coverage where commercial deployment is unlikely, in support of the Government’s target.