Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on extending gigabit capable broadband coverage in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Around 88% of premises in North East Somerset and Hanham can access a gigabit-capable broadband connection (Ofcom Connected Nations, Spring 2026).

To extend this further, more than 1,130 premises in the constituency have been included in Project Gigabit cross-regional contracts being delivered by Openreach. Approximately 270 of these premises can now access a gigabit-capable connection, with further delivery continuing under the contracts up until 2030.

In addition, over 2,620 premises in the constituency have benefited from completed Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme projects, helping to extend gigabit-capable broadband coverage in harder-to-reach areas.

We are also continuously monitoring suppliers’ commercial rollout plans and data to identify areas that may be at risk of missing out on gigabit-capable broadband. Where such areas are identified and meet the relevant criteria, we work with suppliers to consider bringing premises into existing or future Project Gigabit contracts, helping to ensure as many premises as possible can benefit from gigabit-capable connectivity.