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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to make operating in areas with poor or non-existent mobile coverage commercially viable for mobile operators.

Improving mobile connectivity across the UK, especially in those areas where coverage is poor, is a priority for the Government. The licence obligations arising from the December 2014 agreement have locked in investment of £5 billion and are delivering improved coverage across the UK.

To support industry, our regulatory reforms to mobile planning laws in England, which came into force on 24 November, and the proposed reform of the Electronic Communications Code, currently being taken forward through the Digital Economy Bill, are making it easier and cheaper for mobile operators to roll out new infrastructure, and extend or replace existing infrastructure. This will help tackle not-spots and deliver improved connectivity that people need across the UK.