Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2021 to Question 1058, whether funding for the NEC NeutrORAN trial will be provided by the Diversification Task Force.

The Government announced its support for the NEC NeutrORAN trial in the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy last November. The project was funded as part of the Government’s successful, long-standing 5G Testbeds and Trials programme. The project is progressing at pace, and is expected to deliver live 5G Open RAN within the UK in 2021.

The Telecoms Diversification Taskforce was established as an independent advisory group to help guide the Government’s design of targeted interventions to deliver the diversification strategy. All funding decisions remain with Government, as part of a wider programme of delivering on our long-term vision for a competitive, open and resilient supply chain.