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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what date she plans to start the roll-out of 5G in Brecon and Radnorshire constituency.

The Government is committed to becoming a world leader in 5G, and to provide access to a 5G signal for the majority of the population by 2027. The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review set out the Government’s plan to create the right conditions for the deployment of 5G across the UK.

It is important to note that the vast majority of commercial rollout of 5G services will be delivered by industry, according to their own timeframes. All four Mobile Network Operators have confirmed plans to launch 5G services this year and will extend coverage to 50 towns and cities by the end of 2020.

Government is committed to ensuring that world-class connectivity is provided across the UK, wherever people live, work and travel. Good 4G mobile coverage will be central in laying the foundation for 5G rollout across the entire country.

Government is also taking action to build the business case for 5G by investing in a nationally coordinated testbed and trials programme. As part of this programme Government is testing 5G use cases across a range of sectors including in rural settings.