Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to use 4G coverage, which covers 99 per cent of the country, as an alternative to fibre to provide access to broadband in remote rural areas.

Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver fast, reliable broadband across the UK. Over 74% of UK premises can now access a gigabit-capable broadband connection, up from just 6% in January 2019. As part of Project Gigabit, we are targeting a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage by 2025, and then seek to get as close to 100% as possible.

Project Gigabit is technology neutral and therefore can use a Fixed Wireless Access solution such as 4G subject to the relevant eligibility criteria and performance requirements being met.

Ofcom estimates that at least 95% of premises are already able to access a 4G Fixed Wireless Access solution from a commercial provider, with some wireless technologies already able to offer an ultrafast, or gigabit-capable, connection that offers substantial capacity and low latency. Ofcom also assesses with high confidence that 5G data services from at least one provider are available to at least 77% of UK premises.

The government believes that a small proportion of premises, likely less than 100,000, may require an alternative solution to gigabit-capable connectivity and are therefore considered ‘Very Hard to Reach’.

The government is therefore exploring with industry all possible options for improving broadband connectivity in remote rural areas and is considering all available technology types, including 4G and 5G Fixed Wireless Access solutions, to address premises in these areas.