Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of households in Suffolk Coastal constituency had access to broadband speeds of over (a) 10 mbps and (b) 30mbps in (i) 2010 and (ii) the most recent period for which data is available.

30 Mbps coverage: According to Thinkbroadband, as of May 2024, almost 98% of premises in the Suffolk Coastal constituency have access to broadband speeds greater than 30 Mbps. This is much higher than the 17.5% coverage reported in 2010.

10 Mbps coverage: According to Ofcom’s Spring 2024 Connected Nations report, based on data as of January 2024, over 98% of premises in the Suffolk Coastal constituency have access to broadband speeds greater than 10 Mbps. This is higher than the 90% coverage reported in June 2016. We do not have earlier breakdown data for 10 Mbps coverage.

Gigabit coverage: According to Thinkbroadband, as of May 2024, almost 59% of premises in the Suffolk Coastal constituency have gigabit connectivity. This is much higher than the 1% coverage reported in 2010.

To extend gigabit-capable coverage further, in June 2023 we announced that a Project Gigabit contract had been awarded to the supplier CityFibre. This contract has a value of over £100 million, covering 79,500 hard-to-reach premises in Suffolk that would otherwise miss out on a gigabit-capable connection. The first connections are expected to be made this summer and we expect the contract to be completed by December 2028.