The Government has set a challenging ambition to deliver UK-wide reliable mobile connectivity. Its plans for 5G coverage are reliant on private sector investment, action from multiple departments and bodies, and learning lessons from the past. In March 2020, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) launched a connectivity improvement programme the Shared Rural Network (SRN), which has led to 4G mobile coverage increasing from 91.4% in 2020 to 92.7% in 2023, against a target of 95% by 2025.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has found that the SRN is behind schedule, with three out of the UK’s four network operators admitting they may not be able to deliver the coverage required within current grant funding. It further found that government is not currently monitoring progress effectively, and does not have the information to understand what the programme is costing.
In 2021, the Committee’s report on Improving Broadband warned that digital inequality was compounding the economic inequality exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee concluded that government’s pledge to deliver nationwide gigabit broadband coverage was unachievable, and that the hardest-to-reach premises may struggle with fixed broadband for years to come.
Based on the NAO report, the Committee will take evidence from senior officials from DSIT and its agency, Building Digital UK, on subjects including progress on plans to deliver UK-wide reliable mobile connectivity, and the current picture for the SRN.
If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by 23:59 on 5 April 2024.
Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere.
The Committee cannot investigate individual issues with connectivity. If you have an individual concern you should contact your provider in the first instance.