Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 2017 Electronic Communications Code reforms on the time taken for the roll out of 5G masts in rural communities.

The aim of the 2017 reforms was to encourage investment in digital networks and improve coverage and connectivity across the UK.

Our ambition is that all populated areas will have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to removing barriers to the digital infrastructure, including reviewing where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of 5G.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of the 2017 Electronic Communications Code reforms on the time taken for the roll out of 5G lasts in rural communities. However, analysis from the EU Commission showed 5G households' coverage in the UK at the end of 2024 (95%) was on par with India, China and ahead of France (94%) and the EU (94.3%), but behind South Korea (100%), Japan (99.2%), Norway, Iceland and Germany (all 99%) as well as USA (97.0%). Since this assessment, UK 5G coverage outside premises has increased to 96%.