Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Lightspeed and (b) other (i) broadband and (ii) connectivity companies on the effectiveness of their consultation processes with local residents before any telegraph pole installation takes place.

I have not had any discussions with Lightspeed about their consultation processes with local residents. However, my predecessor raised concerns about telegraph pole deployment directly with industry, through trade bodies ISPA and INCA.

In response, the industry convened the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, and published its best practice recommendations. These guidelines set out expectations for operators who plan to deploy telegraph poles as part of their network and sets out steps that local authorities and communities can take if they have any concerns.