Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that network providers prioritise (a) mast height adjustments, (b) network modernisation and (c) other infrastructure improvements in areas with terrain challenges.

Most digital infrastructure, including new ground-based masts and rooftop antennas, benefit from permitted development rights, which permit deployment of infrastructure that meet certain specifications without the need for full planning permission.

We are encouraging network innovation through our Open Networks Programme. For example, the BEACH project, which deployed shared cellular network solutions via small cells to provide greater network bandwidth based on end-user demand. Similarly, the ONE WORD project utilised existing street furniture, such as lampposts, to deploy small cell infrastructure in high-density areas like Bath and Shrewsbury.

Both projects demonstrated scalable innovative network approaches in challenging environments.