Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of geographic differences in full fibre availability on local economic development.
Digital infrastructure is a powerful driver of economic growth and development. In 2023, the telecoms services industry contributed around 2.5% to UK real GVA, up from 0.3% in 2010.
Geographical areas with lower levels of full fibre availability are less likely to benefit economically than areas with higher levels of full fibre availability. Government interventions, alongside the commercial market, are addressing this disparity. Evidence from the government’s Superfast programme showed that for every £1 spent on connections to premises left behind by the market, up to £4.57 was generated in economic and social benefits. Employment in the local areas benefiting from the programme also increased by 0.88%. We expect Project Gigabit to continue to drive local economic growth and development in areas which stand to benefit from the programme.
Building Digital UK also publishes independent evaluations of its programmes at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/building-digital-uk-research-portal