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1142450

	registered interest
	date	25/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve mobile signal connectivity in rural areas.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
	uin	HL17524
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2019 answer text <p>Improving mobile coverage in rural areas is a priority for the Government, and we want the UK to have high-quality mobile coverage where people live, work and travel. We are committed to extending geographic mobile coverage to 95% of the UK, as well as providing an uninterrupted mobile signal on all major roads, and we are considering all of the options available to facilitate this.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is working closely with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to consider their proposal for a Shared Rural Network. Their proposal is still being developed and my department looks forward to hearing more about the industry’s potential solution to the issue of rural mobile coverage.</p><p> </p><p>My department also welcomes the current proposals set out in Ofcom’s consultation on awarding the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum bands to improve coverage, which aims to deliver two MNOs to 90% geographic mobile coverage.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 02/08/2019 12:14:51 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4303 label Biography information for Baroness Kennedy of Cradley

1417143

	registered interest
	date	26/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that remote rural locations in the UK which rely on the 3G mobile phone network will have a guaranteed continuation of service when the 3G signal is turned off in 2023.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
	uin	HL5707
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the responsible switching off of 3G networks, and will continue to work with mobile network operators to ensure a smooth transition that meets the needs of business users and consumers, including vulnerable groups.</p><p>We are committed to extending good quality mobile coverage across the UK. In March 2020, the Government announced a deal with the mobile network operators to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass. The Government’s ambition is for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027 and we want to ensure that UK businesses reap the full benefits of 5G.</p> answering member printed Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay question first answered 09/02/2022 12:35:34 answering member 4728 label Biography information for Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
	tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

1024820

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with mobile phone companies on those companies sharing resources to improve coverage in rural communities.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	202146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>The Secretary of State and Ministers hold regular meetings with Mobile Network Operators to discuss a range of issues. We accept that sharing of sites and infrastructure can make deployment of mobile network infrastructure more efficient and cost-effective.</p><p> </p><p>Government supports industry initiatives to provide a more efficient service to consumers, providing that this does not restrict competition in the market.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 20/12/2018 13:20:01 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1027416

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department's policy is on improving mobile data coverage in rural areas with low levels of fixed superfast broadband coverage.
	tabling member constituency	Angus
	tabling member printed	Kirstene Hair
	uin	202893
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2018 answer text <p>The Government’s ambition is for there to be good mobile coverage in all areas where people live, work and travel, including areas where there are low levels of superfast fixed broadband coverage.</p><p>The Government recognises that industry needs to improve coverage further, particularly in rural areas, as consumers’ experience of mobile coverage falls short of their expectations.The Government has been taking action to drive up coverage, including reforms to the Electronic Communications Code, to encourage investment in the rollout of digital infrastructure by making deployment cheaper.</p><p>We also welcome Ofcom’s recent consultation (published on 18th December) which outlined potential new licence obligations targeting rural coverage as part of the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction. This will help deliver better mobile coverage - including voice and data - and enable more people to benefit from the digital economy.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 21/12/2018 12:49:04 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4675 label Biography information for Kirstene Hair

1105660

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling mobile phone roaming between mobile service network operators in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	Angus
	tabling member printed	Kirstene Hair
	uin	237770
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to extending geographic mobile coverage to 95% of the UK by 2022, as well as providing an uninterrupted mobile signal on all major roads.</p><p> </p><p>Roaming in rural areas has the potential to improve consumer choice and could be a solution for the problem of “partial not-spots.” This is currently mandated for emergency calls so that a 999 call can be made from any mobile in all areas where there is a signal from at least one operator.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s recently published consultation on our Statement of Strategic Priorities urges Ofcom to fully consider the costs and benefits of roaming as an approach to improving mobile coverage more generally, and to maintain the option of requiring roaming by including appropriate provisions when granting rights of use for spectrum.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 05/04/2019 11:22:12 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4675 label Biography information for Kirstene Hair

862128

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2018
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile phone signals in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	East Devon
	tabling member printed	Sir Hugo Swire
	uin	132547
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2018 answer text <p>As set out in our 2017 5G Strategy our ambition is for the UK to have good quality connectivity where people live, work and travel. This is why we reformed planning laws in England in 2016, reformed the Electronic Communications Code in 2017 and signed an Accord with the Church of England in February 2018 to make it easier and cheaper to install digital infrastructure across the UK including rural areas.</p><p> </p><p>We also welcome Ofcom’s consultation, launched on 9 March, which outlines potential new licence obligations for rural coverage as part of the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction. This will further help drive coverage improvements for consumers.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 19/03/2018 12:10:34 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire

890326

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2018
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using emergency services masts to improve mobile phone coverage in rural parts of Scotland and the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Dumfries and Galloway
	tabling member printed	Mr Alister Jack
	uin	137646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2018 answer text <p>In delivering the Emergency Services Network (ESN), the mobile network operator EE is delivering around 500 new sites (up to 291 of which will be funded by the Government) and upgrading its entire existing network. Over 300 of these new sites are in Scotland and all new sites are open to incoming site share applications from other Mobile Network Operators. Additionally, in the more remote areas of Great Britain, the Government, as part of its Extended Area Service (EAS) Programme, will deliver approximately 300 further sites for ESN and, potentially, for commercial coverage. 123 of these EAS sites will be in Scotland.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 02/05/2018 13:05:04 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4619 label Biography information for Mr Alister Jack

1178940

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2020
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile phone coverage in (a) North East Bedfordshire constituency and (b) other rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	North East Bedfordshire
	tabling member printed	Richard Fuller
	uin	18508
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government announced in-principle support in October 2019 for the mobile network operators’ (MNOs) Shared Rural Network (SRN) proposal. The proposal would share investment costs between the MNOs and government and increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the United Kingdom to 95% by 2025. It will be underpinned by a legally binding coverage commitment from each operator.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government's in-principle support is subject to detailed negotiations. While this is not yet a done deal, the Prime Minister has made improvements to rural mobile coverage part of his first 100 days pledge. I will continue to work with the sector to make that happen, but I will also explore all possible options to meet our mobile coverage ambitions, including rural roaming.</p><p>The exact site deployment plans and timescales will be managed by the MNOs themselves in order for them to best deliver the agreed coverage outcomes. So until the operators’ final radio planning exercise is complete, neither the Government nor the operators will know the precise location or number of new or upgraded masts. However, the operators will be consulting with local communities as their roll out plans become clearer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 02/03/2020 17:44:40 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	3912 label Biography information for Richard Fuller

165931

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of mobile phone coverage in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	Redditch
	tabling member printed	Karen Lumley
	uin	906287
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text <p>Mobile phone coverage is vital for rural businesses and households. 99% of premises already receive 2G coverage. However 21% of the UK’s landmass has coverage from only one or two mobile operators. This affects around 1.5 million people living in areas with patchy coverage, who not only receive a worse service than other consumers, but also have a limited choice of providers and packages. People travelling into these areas are also affected.</p><p>A consultation into tackling partial not-spots closed on 26 November. I am also in discussions with the mobile industry to agree a voluntary solution, which remains my preference.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 27/11/2014 11:59:28 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	4023 label Biography information for Karen Lumley

166963

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to support the roll-out of mobile communications infrastructure in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	216670
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government has invested £150m to build infrastructure to provide coverage to some of the UK premises where there is currently no basic mobile coverage for voice calls or text messages. BDUK has successfully brokered agreements between the key Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to share the costs of using new infrastructure. Last year the Government also introduced planning changes for mobile infrastructure to facilitate network deployment, further supporting extending rural mobile coverage.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 04/12/2014 16:51:50 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart