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 protect the UK's network infrastructure, in the context of the adequacy of whereabouts compliance measures.

Openreach has commercial contracts with broadband contractors who access its ducts and poles. These contracts include detailed requirements on how Openreach should be notified of where and when companies will be building fibre. It is ultimately a commercial decision for Openreach to decide how it enforces these contracts.

DSIT has engaged with Ofcom, Openreach, and the Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator (OTA) to understand the implications of whereabouts compliance for telecoms network resilience. Improving compliance may help to attribute the cause of accidental damage to fibre infrastructure but would not completely prevent accidental damage or stop those intending to cause malicious damage.

DSIT has been informed by Openreach and the OTA that they have worked with communication providers to agree a new approach to improving whereabouts compliance. DSIT is content that no further action is required at this time but will continue to work with Ofcom to monitor the situation in case risks to security and resilience arise in future.