Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that households without signal are able to access the smart meter network.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is obligated under the conditions of its licence to provide Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain.

The DCC is also required by licence conditions to seek to provide coverage to all premises where it is practicable and cost proportionate, and to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage. For the minority of premises that currently do not receive WAN coverage, a new solution will be trialled early next year which will involve harnessing, with their consent, customers’ broadband connections to carry smart metering communications.