Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will reintroduce the Super Highway Broadband Voucher Scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The £40m government-funded Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme - which closed to new applications on 12 October 2015 - was a huge success, issuing well over 50,000 vouchers, as well as funding the cost of installation of wi-fi in more than 1500 public buildings. We have no plans to reintroduce the scheme, though it is worth noting that some commercial providers, such as Virgin media, are now offering free installation of business broadband.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report published by Ofcom on 1 December 2015 into broadband speeds in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2015 report shows that average download broadband speeds in Northern Ireland have improved over the last year. Work is underway to further improve broadband availability and speeds, and the impact of two additional schemes will be measured in due course.
Meanwhile, this Government is working closely with Ofcom to implement the broadband Universal Service Obligation by 2020, as recently announced by the Prime Minister. This will give people a legal right to request a broadband connection no matter where they live. A consultation will be launched early next year.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications have been submitted for the voucher broadband scheme; how many such applications came from Northern Ireland; how many of these have been approved; and if he will make available new programmes of broadband funding.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Scheme has been a great success with SMEs right across the UK benefitting from broadband speeds on average 10 times faster than existing connections. My department collects routine data from participating cities, who are responsible for administering broadband connection vouchers in accordance with scheme terms and conditions showing vouchers issued rather than applications made.
As of 30 September 2015 there were over 40,000 vouchers issued in over 50 cities across the UK, of which around 2,000 were issued in Northern Ireland. All decisions regarding new funding are subject to the Spending Review.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to abolish roaming charges for mobile phone users (a) travelling to and (b) unintentionally connecting to a network based in the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
During negotiations on the EU Connected Continent package, the UK has consistently pushed for more and faster reductions to roaming charges, leading as soon as possible to their abolition. The Government believes that roaming charges have no place in a digital single market and the Minister for Culture, Communications & Creative Industries reiterated at the Telecoms Council meeting on Friday 12 June that this should be the last summer when the average consumer pays roaming charges.
Ofcom in Northern Ireland has taken an active interest in inadvertent roaming, particularly in border areas and along the north Antrim coast. A consumer guide to Inadvertent Roaming, published in January 2014. See: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/mobile-phones/mobiles-abroad/inadvertentent-roaming-northern-ireland/
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Mid Ulster; and how much has been paid to Arqiva for the rollout of that project in that area to date.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Fermanagh and South Tyrone; and how much has been paid to Arqiva for the rollout of that project in that area to date.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on allowing internet service providers to restructure charging arrangements for faster network access.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government supports an open internet, and believes that self-regulation is the best approach to achieve this. We expect ISPs to be transparent with their customers regarding their terms and conditions at the point of sale, including any traffic management practices, in order to allow consumers to make an informed choice and consider any alternative providers.