Question follow-through · 104952

Broadband: Rural Areas

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the impact of Physical Infrastructure Access costs on the deployment of fibre optic broadband in rural areas.

answeredDepartment for Science, Innovation and Technology

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Tabled
12 Jan 2026
Target answer date
14 Jan 2026
Answer
20 Jan 2026 · 8 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Recorded timeline

  1. 12 Jan 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the impact of Physical Infrastructure Access costs on the deployment of fibre optic broadband in rural areas.

  2. 14 Jan 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 20 Jan 2026

    Answer published

    As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product, and is currently finalising its Telecoms Access Review.D...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Government Departments: Artificial Intelligence

4 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department (a) maintains and (b) plans to maintain a register of AI systems across government.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G: Patents

29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of patent trolls on the rollout of 5G networks.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G: Patents

29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to tackle patent trolls in the 5G standalone sector.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Patents: Disclosure of Information

29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to introduce greater transparency in the patent market.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G: Patents

29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of patent trolls on funding for research and design in the 5G sector.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Patents: Regulation

29 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a regulator in the patent market.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Broadband: Standards

17 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of whether Ofcom's proposed benchmark for mobile network performance is sufficient to move the UK into the top third of OECD countries for mobile quality on

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Broadband: Standards

17 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what performance standards for mobile connectivity apply to Industrial Strategy Zones and AI Growth Zones.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G: Standards

17 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what performance thresholds will apply when assessing whether the Government's 2030 target for standalone 5G in all populated areas has been met.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G: Devon

23 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the merger of Vodafone and Three on the rollout of 5G services in (a) Devon and (b) Newton Abbot constituency.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

5G

23 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support her Department is offering to Local Authorities to support the connectivity of 5G in their areas.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mobile Market Review

25 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is her Department's planned timetable for publishing the findings of the Mobile Market Review.