Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and (b) mobile communication companies on the use of the Emergency Services Network mast at Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire for commercial 4G and 5G purposes.

There are regular meetings between the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Office about the Emergency Service Network’s Extended Area Services (EAS) sites being used for the Shared Rural Network (SRN). The two departments discuss EAS site suitability, deployment and activation timelines. There has been no specific meeting in relation to sites in Rhandirmwyn.

All (Extended Area Services) sites are available for SRN in principle, where site conditions, planning legislation and a willing site provider align and where they meet the DCMS viability criteria. SRN have provisionally carried out a strategic evaluation of each proposed site. DCMS’s current approach is where site conditions allow, all 292 EAS sites are under consideration for SRN .

There are 2 EAS sites in the Rhandirmwyn area and these are both being considered for commercial connectivity via the SRN. We are currently working with the DCMS and Mobile Network Operators to facilitate sharing of the EAS sites as quickly as possible.

The SRN Programme also has regular monthly updates with the Devolved Administrations, where regular updates are given on the progress of the programme. In addition, DCMS regularly keep the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales updated on the progress of the SRN EAS program with regular stocktakes.

There have been no discussion on 5G deployment with DCMS as SRN is providing 4G services.