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<p>The Public Switched Telephone Network is a privately-owned telecoms network and
the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry, not the government.
The decision has been taken as the network is increasingly unreliable and prone to
failure, and spare parts are becoming harder to source due to a reduction in global
production.</p><p>However, some Internet Service Providers are planning on migrating
customers from PSTN connections only when a full-fibre connection is available at
their premises, meaning higher broadband speeds and greater reliability.</p><p>More
broadly, the government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity
as soon as possible. Today, over 65% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks,
up from just one in ten in November 2019. The Government is also investing £5 billion
as part of Project Gigabit to ensure the hardest-to-reach areas in the UK receive
coverage: up to 2.5 million premises are within the scope of procurements we have
already announced.</p>
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