Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the quality of (i) 4G and (ii) 5G coverage across Newcastle Central and West constituency.

In their Connected Nations Spring update (13 May 2026), Ofcom reported that, as of January 2026, almost 100% of the Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West constituency landmass has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators (MNOs), with standalone 5G available outside of almost 100% of premises across the constituency from at least one MNO.

Mobile connectivity is not only about whether a signal is present in a particular location, but about using that signal to make calls, use data reliably, access services and stay connected. Mobile network performance data has also started to be integrated into Ofcom’s Map Your Mobile tool, drawing on crowdsourced data and the Mobile Market Review will see the government consider quality of service further.