Remote Working: Digital Technology and Training

(asked on 14th July 2020) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to increase digital connectivity and training to allow people to work from home.


Answered by
Matt Warman Portrait
Matt Warman
This question was answered on 22nd July 2020

On March 29th, the Government and Ofcom agreed a set of voluntary commitments with the UK’s major telecommunications providers to support and protect vulnerable consumers and those who might become vulnerable due to circumstances arising from Covid-19. These included commitments to lift data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services, and to offer new, generous mobile and landline packages to vulnerable consumers. A further set of smaller providers signed up to the same commitments in mid-May.

The sector has also provided reassurances that, to date, the UK’s broadband network has been able to handle home working alongside the other demands being placed on it such as gaming, using streaming services and home learning, as well as other leisure usage.

DCMS continues to work closely with the key telecommunications providers who are monitoring traffic levels on an ongoing basis. Similarly, the mobile network operators are managing network performance including a shift from typical inner city demand to suburban home working.

Reticulating Splines