Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26719 on Broadband: Telford, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) expand consumer choice and (b) reduce the cost of 5G services in Telford.

The Government has created a pro-competition regulatory framework that has allowed more than a hundred alternative networks to enter the fixed broadband market since 2018. This has led to the fast roll-out of fibre across the UK and more choice for consumers. We continue to support a pro-competition environment for the sector, as set out in our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services, published in July.

The mobile market is highly competitive with three wholesale providers and over 100 retail providers. The Government has no role in setting prices in the mobile market. The average cost per gigabit of data in the UK decreased 8% in real terms between 2023 and 2024.