Broadband and the road to 5G

Culture, Media and Sport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 3 Mar 2020 Closed: 20 Apr 2021 Parliament page
MPs launch an inquiry into Broadband and road to 5G to examine Government’s pledge to ensure every home and business in the UK has gigabit-capable broadband by 2025. The inquiry will focus on how realistic the ambition is, what is needed to achieve it, and what the Government’s target will … Read more
12 Recommendations
4 Conclusions
3 Reports
2 Oral sessions
1 Letter
2 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
20 Apr
2021
Report published
23 Mar
2021
Correspondence
5 Mar
2021
Report published
5 Mar
2021
Report published
22 Dec
2020
Report published
20 Oct
2020
Oral evidence
24 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
20 Oct 2020
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Matt Warman MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
24 Sep 2020
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Andrew Glover · Internet Service Providers Association Gareth Elliott · Mobile UK Malcolm Corbett · Independent Networks Co-operative Association
Recommendations & Conclusions
16 results
1 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Sticking to unachievable targets benefits no-one, and it was inevitable that the Government would have...
Sticking to unachievable targets benefits no-one, and it was inevitable that the Government would have to abandon its unrealistic manifesto pledge to deliver nationwide gigabit connectivity by 2025. Ministers should be ready to respond openly, in answering questions from members … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its ambition for UK connectivity and its strategy through the £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme, detailing planned spending of at least £1.2 billion by March 2025 for 5 percentage points of the final 20%. The response does not, however, address the committee's concerns regarding delays in abandoning previous targets or the process of setting the new one.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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2 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
It would not be acceptable having abandoned one unrealistic target, for the Government to fail...
It would not be acceptable having abandoned one unrealistic target, for the Government to fail to meet a second, less ambitious, target through lack of effective planning or inadequate investment. The Government should outline, in its response to this Report … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines its strategy for delivering gigabit broadband through a £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme and existing funding, estimating at least £1.2 billion will be spent by March 2025 to deliver 5 percentage points of the final 20%. However, it does not provide a specific target date for the remaining 15% coverage, stating it will work with industry to accelerate delivery as much as possible.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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3 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
The Government’s technology-agnostic approach to securing a nationwide gigabit- capable network makes sense in the...
The Government’s technology-agnostic approach to securing a nationwide gigabit- capable network makes sense in the context of delivering faster connections to as many premises as possible as quickly as possible. However, the Government must not let it come with a … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts that gigabit connectivity technologies should be future-proof but reaffirms its commitment to a technology-neutral approach to enable innovation.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
It is difficult to see how £5 billion will be enough to meet the Government’s...
It is difficult to see how £5 billion will be enough to meet the Government’s aim of delivering gigabit broadband to the hardest-to-reach 20% of premises. Investment in digital infrastructure is too important to be compromised. It is therefore disappointing … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its commitment to the £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme and the "Outside In" approach, confirming at least £1.2 billion will be spent by March 2025 based on extensive industry engagement. It also plans to publish a procurement pipeline, extend the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, and continue connecting public buildings.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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5 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, how the...
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, how the remaining £3.8 billion has been ringfenced and when it expects to make it available for delivering gigabit-capable broadband to the hardest-to-reach properties. (Paragraph 50) Broadband … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its £5 billion commitment, outlining that £1.2 billion will be spent by March 2025 and detailing plans to publish a procurement pipeline in Spring 2021 and extend the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
There are technical reasons why 5G will not be the silver bullet for delivering gigabit...
There are technical reasons why 5G will not be the silver bullet for delivering gigabit connectivity to rural areas but this will be exacerbated if the roll-out of 5G follows the same commercially-driven pattern as previous generations of mobile technology. … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Huawei implications, commits to publishing a technical consultation in Spring to simplify planning rules for 5G infrastructure in rural areas, and states it will continue to monitor progress and update the Committee on its target for majority 5G access by 2027.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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7 Recommendation Deferred
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
The Government should complete a formal review of progress towards its targets for gigabit-capable broadband...
The Government should complete a formal review of progress towards its targets for gigabit-capable broadband and 5G by the end of 2022 and report back to us on progress. (Paragraph 60) Demand for gigabit connectivity
Government Response
The government states it is monitoring progress regularly and will *consider the timing of any formal review*, noting the Committee’s recommendation, but is content to report back to the Committee on progress during the next two years and beyond.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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8 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Ensuring there is sufficient demand for gigabit-capable broadband must not be an afterthought and based...
Ensuring there is sufficient demand for gigabit-capable broadband must not be an afterthought and based on consumer behaviours and take-up of existing technologies, cannot be assumed to be a given. We are concerned that the Government has not given enough … Read more
Government Response
The government claims it has already recognised the importance of demand, citing existing policies and initiatives such as Ofcom's regulatory functions, the 'One Touch Switch' system, and the 'Open Communications' (Smart Data) initiative to stimulate demand and make switching easier.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Getting the design of the gigabit programme right is absolutely essential, especially as its budget...
Getting the design of the gigabit programme right is absolutely essential, especially as its budget for the next four years will be only 25% of what was expected. Some parts of the country will still get left behind when it … Read more
Government Response
The government refers to its 2018 Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review and Statement of Strategic Priorities, stating its existing commitment to promoting competition and investment in gigabit networks.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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10 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, what the...
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, what the Spending Review and 85% target mean for its ‘outside-in’ ambition and its strategy for delivering to those semi-urban areas unlikely to benefit from commercial roll- … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms its commitment to the 'outside-in' approach, detailing the £5 billion for the least commercial 20%, the 85% gigabit-capable coverage target by 2025, and that a pipeline for initial deployment through the UK Gigabit Programme will be published in Spring 2021.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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11 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
The roll-out of gigabit-capable networks will put considerable strain on local authorities, which are already...
The roll-out of gigabit-capable networks will put considerable strain on local authorities, which are already facing considerable pressures on their budgets. The Government must retain the expertise gained through the superfast programme and ensure local authorities are resourced sufficiently to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees local authorities are crucial, detailing the support provided by its Barrier Busting Task Force and confirming it is working closely with the Local Government Association to agree delivery models, roles, and resource requirements for the UK Gigabit Programme.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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12 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
We are not convinced that the technology-agnostic approach to delivering gigabit-capable broadband extends much beyond...
We are not convinced that the technology-agnostic approach to delivering gigabit-capable broadband extends much beyond ministerial pronouncements. The Government needs to take a more joined-up approach to fixed and mobile telecoms policy, especially when it comes to interventions for the … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines that its interventions are technology neutral, assessing suppliers by gigabit speed delivery regardless of technology, and cites examples like wireless Superfast contracts, 5G/Millimetre Wave voucher schemes, and engagement with emerging non-terrestrial technologies.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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13 Recommendation Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
We are concerned that Ofcom has significant catching up to do for its regulatory regime...
We are concerned that Ofcom has significant catching up to do for its regulatory regime to deliver the Government’s goals and protect consumers. The regulatory framework proposed in the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review has the potential to undermine the … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms it has engaged closely with Ofcom regarding the interaction between the £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme and Ofcom's regulatory proposals. It expresses confidence that the interventions and regulations will work effectively together to maximise gigabit-capable coverage, but does not commit to ensuring Ofcom addresses the specific concerns outlined or writes to the committee.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Judging by the legislative measures to date, the scale of the Government’s efforts to tackle...
Judging by the legislative measures to date, the scale of the Government’s efforts to tackle the most serious barriers to roll-out does not match the scale of its ambition for gigabit connectivity. Despite the challenges of the 2025 target, the … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights existing reforms to the Electronic Communications Code, the upcoming Royal Assent for the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill to tackle specific issues, and a current consultation on whether further changes to the Code are needed. A full reform of the wayleave regime is still under consultation.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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15 Recommendation Rejected
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Again, the Government’s ‘wait and see’ approach to ensuring sufficient numbers of engineers does not...
Again, the Government’s ‘wait and see’ approach to ensuring sufficient numbers of engineers does not reflect the scale of the infrastructure and industry challenge to meet its targets for rolling out nationwide full fibre. The Minister’s assertion that the UK … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for time-limited visa solutions for EU engineers, stating it will instead focus on creating domestic engineering jobs and incentivizing training for British workers through existing initiatives.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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16 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Broadband and the …
Industry’s calls for regulatory and business rate reform, as well as removing barriers to roll-out,...
Industry’s calls for regulatory and business rate reform, as well as removing barriers to roll-out, will not come as any surprise to Ministers; however, these long-standing policy recommendations demonstrate a gap between the Government’s ambition and the action it has … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is already delivering an ambitious programme to remove barriers to gigabit broadband deployment, citing current build rates and existing business rate relief. It also notes that the Treasury is conducting a fundamental review of business rates, to which the department has encouraged industry input.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Government Response AI assessment · 16 of 12 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 1
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 1
Total 12 recs + 4 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
23 Mar 2021 To committee Letter from Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive, Ofcom, re Broadband and road to 5G, 18 March 2021
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