Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the number of households in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK without access to a broadband connection speed greater than 10 Mbps.

Customers can access home broadband via fixed-wired (copper/fibre) and fixed-wireless access connections. For the 10Mbps download speed criterion alone, Ofcom only publish data for fixed-wired network types. However, data gathered by Ofcom for the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) measuring both 10Mbps download and 1Mbps upload from both fixed-wired and fixed-wireless networks indicates that, as of July 2025 this threshold is not met for;

• 769 residential premises in Ceredigion Preseli

• 5,035 residential premises in Wales

• 34,760 residential premises in UK

The Broadband USO provides consumers with a right to request a decent broadband service of at least 10 Mbps download speed and 1 Mbps upload speed (as well as several other specific technical characteristics).

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 report, as of July 2025, 769 residential premises in the Ceredigion Preseli constituency, 5,035 residential premises in Wales and 34,760 residential premises in the UK are potentially eligible for the Broadband USO.

The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit-capable broadband coverage by 2032. Premises may be able to receive improved connectivity via government interventions such as Project Gigabit, local government schemes such as Access Broadband Cymru Grant scheme or via the Broadband USO.

Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering gigabit-capable broadband to parts of the UK that are unlikely to be reached by the commercial market alone. Around 60,000 premises across Wales, including approximately 5,790 premises in Ceredigion Preseli constituency, are expected to benefit from gigabit coverage through Project Gigabit’s cross-regional framework with Openreach. Across the UK, more than one million premises are included within £2.4 billion worth of signed Project Gigabit contracts.

In the meantime, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services are available to most remaining premises in Wales.