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<p>The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it
easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks.
Those changes include the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected
the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure
on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation
regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water
and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services
is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.</p><p>The
Government continues to believe that the framework strikes a fair balance between
ensuring individual landowners are not left out of pocket and encouraging the industry
investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital
services.</p><p>Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with
and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice.
This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led
to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill,
as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage
of the Bill.</p><p>In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land
Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract
attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site
provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent
progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body,
the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently
of DCMS.</p><p>A de minimis assessment was carried out on the reforms to the Code
contained in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill. This
review was general in nature and did not focus on specific stakeholder groups. Once
the measures in the Bill have commenced, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders
to gain their feedback on how the new provisions are working in practice.</p>
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