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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) his department or (b) Ofcom will monitor BT for excess profits on its fibre rollout in the absence of price controls.

In its Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom, the government set out its view that companies making large investments in gigabit capable broadband networks should be able to make a fair return. However, the responsibility for regulating the telecoms market, including monitoring BT’s returns on its investment into full fibre networks is a matter for Ofcom, as the independent regulator.

The government’s view is that Ofcom’s proposed regulations for the 2021-2026 period will allow those deploying networks to make a fair return, whilst ensuring that customers across the country can continue to access world-class broadband at affordable prices.