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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Broadband Upgrade Fund in Carmarthenshire.

The Broadband Upgrade Fund Pilot provided an opportunity to test an innovative approach to demand stimulation in the broadband market. The final stage of the Broadband Upgrade Fund only recently completed, in January 2021, and many suppliers are still in the process of engaging with communities to put together project proposals to submit to BDUK for approval. Therefore, a full assessment of the effectiveness of the Broadband Upgrade Fund Pilot will be undertaken once there has been sufficient opportunity for proposals to turn into gigabit capable connections.

However, an initial assessment shows that communities in Carmarthenshire were particularly active, with over 3,200 residents and small to medium sized businesses registering their interest in the Broadband Upgrade Fund. Suppliers were also equally responsive to the demand identified in Carmarthenshire. Around 98% of businesses and residents who registered for the pilot received at least one offer from a broadband supplier, with 96% receiving two or more offers.