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 alternative network providers to deploy broadband in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

The government is committed to ensuring 99% of UK premises receive gigabit coverage by 2032.

In July, we published a consultation on a draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom that sets out the government’s view on the importance of competition to promote investment in broadband deployment across the UK, including in rural areas. A pro-competition regulatory environment will allow alternative networks to continue to play a key role in the fibre roll-out. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In non-commercially viable, often rural, areas, more than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed, including with alternative networks, to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband.