Fourth Report - Broadband and the road to 5G
Select Committee
Culture, Media and Sport Committee
HC 153
22 December 2020
Government response
Correspondence from the Department for DCMS re Broadband and the road to 5G report, 22 February 2021 · published 5 Mar 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
10 results
3
Recommendation
Accepted
Para 40
The Government’s technology-agnostic approach to securing a nationwide gigabit- capable network makes sense in the...
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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
Para 49
It is difficult to see how £5 billion will be enough to meet the Government’s...
Conclusion
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, how the...
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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6
Recommendation
Accepted
Para 59
There are technical reasons why 5G will not be the silver bullet for delivering gigabit...
Recommendation
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. …
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Government Response Summary
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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8
Recommendation
Accepted
Ensuring there is sufficient demand for gigabit-capable broadband must not be an afterthought and based...
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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
Para 88
Getting the design of the gigabit programme right is absolutely essential, especially as its budget...
Conclusion
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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
Para 89
The Government should outline in its response to this Report, if not before, what the...
Recommendation
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- …
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Government Response Summary
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
Para 92
The roll-out of gigabit-capable networks will put considerable strain on local authorities, which are already...
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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
We are not convinced that the technology-agnostic approach to delivering gigabit-capable broadband extends much beyond...
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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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16
Conclusion
Accepted
Industry’s calls for regulatory and business rate reform, as well as removing barriers to roll-out,...
Conclusion
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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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