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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to meet the Prime Minister's pledge for full-fibre broadband for all by 2025, including in Hampshire.

The government is committing to delivering nationwide gigabit capable connectivity as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made, and this government will continue to take action to remove barriers to network rollout and to ensure that those in the hardest to reach areas are not left behind.

The government set out a clear policy direction for the UK’s digital infrastructure in last year’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review. Since then the government has:

- Issued the first Statement of Strategic Priorities for Ofcom, which provides the regulator with context and guidance about Government’s policy priorities and desired outcomes in the communications markets, including the need for stable and long term regulation that incentivises investment and ensure competition for gigabit capable networks.

- Consulted on improving access for network builders to tenanted properties and new builds.

- Invested public funding in the deployment of gigabit capable broadband in the less commercial areas of the country. For example, the Government has launched the £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme as the first stage in our outside-in programme to rollout gigabit broadband to the most rural and remote areas of the country, and the existing superfast broadband programme has pivoted towards full fibre provision.

The government has plans to build further on this work, including plans to introduce legislation on easier access to tenanted properties and ensuring new builds have gigabit connectivity.

Specifically in Hampshire, CityFibre and Toob have both announced plans to invest in full fibre networks whilst Virgin Media have announced that Southampton will be the first city they will upgrade to gigabit capable connectivity. Government is also supporting deployment in Hampshire with projects in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight through the Local Full Fibre Networks programme, having already passed over 7,000 premises in Hampshire with full fibre through the Superfast Programme.