Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has she made of whether national mobile coverage statistics reflect signal quality in Devon.

Ofcom is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK, through their Connected Nations reports and the coverage maps available in the ‘Map Your Mobile’ tool. Through the Connected Nation's reports, data is provided on a constituency and local authority level, and through the Map Your Mobile tool, individuals across Devon can determine which operator provides the best level of coverage in their area.

Government recognises that there remain discrepancies in some cases between individual experience and the level of coverage that Ofcom reports should be available.

‘Map Your Mobile’, launched in June 2025, includes crowdsourced data on network performance, opposed to coverage alone to help be more reflective of individual experience. Whilst this was a positive step, we continue to work closely with Ofcom on this issue.

The Government has also restated the importance of continuing to improve the reporting of mobile coverage in the Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum and postal services, designated on 27 April 2026. This includes building on the Map Your Mobile tool, exploring further use of measured and crowdsourced data, and keeping under review definitions of “good” 4G and 5G to ensure they reflect evolving consumer and business expectations.