Asked by: Steve Tuckwell (Conservative - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve digital inclusion for people who are unable to access the internet.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ensuring people have access to fast, reliable, affordable internet is a priority for this Government.
As a result of our work with the telecoms industry, basic, non-standalone, 5G is available outside 93% of UK premises, as of April 2024, ThinkBroadband reports that gigabit broadband is available to over 82% of the UK and - through Project Gigabit – we’re investing £5 billion to bring fibre to hard-to-reach communities.
Broadband and mobile social tariffs are available in 99% of the UK to help low-income households stay connected.