Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what measures are in place to ensure that operators are required to remove redundant mobile and telecommunications equipment.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Electronic Communications Code regulates the installation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment on public and private land. Under the Code, landowners can require the removal of telecoms equipment for a range of reasons - including where the equipment is no longer in use - by giving notice to operators. Where necessary, the court may enforce these rights by ordering operators to remove their equipment and restore the land to its original condition.
In addition, the Ofcom Code of Practice for the Electronic Communications Code requires operators to ensure that sites that are no longer required (i.e. redundant) are decommissioned within a reasonable time period. As it may be preferable to leave some telecoms equipment safely in place, such as underground ducts and cables, operators are advised to discuss decommissioning proposals with landowners.
When a landowner requests that the operator remove redundant equipment, operators should respond within a reasonable time, either by agreeing when the apparatus will be made safe or removed, or by explaining that the equipment will still be needed.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the reasons why operators cluster mobile and cellular network equipment at the same locations.
Answered by Matt Warman
A key factor that explains why mobile network operators cluster mobile and cellular network equipment at the same locations is their need to take advantage of specific locations that provide optimum mobile coverage and capacity to their customers.
A number of other factors also influence mobile network operators’ decision making. Planning considerations are important because where a local planning authority has already granted permission for telecommunications infrastructure to be built at a specific location for one operator, it is much easier for new operators to deploy there too. In doing so it also reduces the environmental impact of numerous sites in an area. In addition, where a wayleave agreement for backhaul transmission and site access has already been granted, or power supply to a site installed, incremental costs and associated barriers for new operators to use this site will likely be reduced.
The Government supports the view that the mobile network operators, wherever viable, should share mobile sites and network infrastructure, such as masts and antennas, as this can make the deployment of mobile networks more cost effective, minimise the number of masts needed and, in doing so, help to minimise any environmental impact.
Industry already has extensive mast sharing arrangements in place that cover many sites. Vodafone and O2 have a mast sharing agreement for which they founded a joint venture called Cornerstone Telecommunications, while EE and Three also have a similar agreement in place through their joint venture, Mobile Broadband Network Limited.
While a site might be the optimum location for multiple mobile network operators to ensure that their radio networks deliver the best service for their customers, it is not, however, always possible to share infrastructure or equipment at a specific site. An operator may need to build a second site at a shared location to handle increased capacity demand for example.
Site sharing will be essential to the delivery of the Shared Rural Network Programme which will deliver 95% 4G coverage across the whole of the UK by the end of 2025.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the average life lifespan is of (a) 2G, 3G and 4G equipment and (b) masts.
Answered by Matt Warman
The average lifespan for 2G, 3G and 4G equipment is typically eight years, with the lifespan of masts typically at least 20 years. Lifespans can, however, often last far longer as equipment parts are regularly upgraded and expanded depending on coverage and capacity needs, including upgrades to deliver a change from one generation of mobile technology to another, and as masts are inspected each year on health and safety grounds to ensure they continue to be fit for purpose.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of a high concentration of 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G equipment, including 20 metre masts on residential areas.
Answered by Matt Warman
The effects of installation of electronic communications equipment and infrastructure in residential areas are considered by local authority planning processes. DCMS does not have responsibility for undertaking these assessments.
Local planning processes take into account or otherwise reflect relevant domestic and international health and safety standards. They also take into account impacts on the environment and communities.
In the UK, planning is a devolved matter under each of the devolution settlements. Further information about the specific planning regimes applicable in each of the devolved administrations can be obtained from those administrations if required.
There is no credible evidence of any negative health effects from the additional deployment of 5G equipment. Overall exposure levels are expected to remain well within international guidelines.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to prevent nuisance telephone callers making unwanted calls after a telephone number is registered with the Telephone Preference Service.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) impose strict obligations on organisations that make direct marketing calls to individuals in the UK. Organisations must not call a number that has been registered on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) list. For calls relating to pensions and personal injury claims, calls must not be made at all unless the consumer has provided his or her consent.
The Information Commissioner is responsible for enforcing PECR and publishes details of the actions it has taken for breaches of the legislation on its website:
https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/
We are committed to reducing the level of nuisance calls and continue to work with industry and regulators to identify further steps to tackle the problem. For example, we have been working with National Trading Standards to supply call blocking devices to some of the most vulnerable in society.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he holds information on how much and what proportion of the BBC licence fee was spent in the last year on multiple letters to households suspected of requiring a licence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The BBC’s Annual Report shows that spent £103m on TV licence collection in 2018/19.
However, the Government does not hold information on the costs of the BBC’s enforcement methods. The BBC and TV Licensing may hold this information.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether there is a requirement for telephone providers to have a 15 pence service charge for calls made to the police on the non-emergency 101 number.
Answered by Margot James
There is no obligation on telecom service providers to supply the 101 service free of charge as is the case with 999/112 under the 2003 Communications Act. Calls to 101 cost 15p from a mobile device or landline phones, from anywhere in the country and regardless of duration. Calls are free from payphones. The public have always paid to contact the police by telephone for non-emergencies and the 15p cost of the call goes to the telephony providers to cover the cost of carrying the calls. The police and government receive no money from calls to 101.