Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support the deployment of dark fibre for data-intensive businesses in (a) England, (b) London and (c) west London.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on dark fibre in the leased lines market. DSIT regularly engages with Ofcom and industry stakeholders on these and related issues.

DSIT provides steers to Ofcom through our Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services. Ofcom must have regard to this when making regulatory decisions, including in the context of the Telecoms Access Review.

In July, DSIT published a consultation on a draft updated SSP that sets out the Government’s view on business connectivity, setting it as a priority for the regulator. Officials are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and DSIT will publish its response in due course.