Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has provided guidance to telecommunications companies on addressing community concerns on the visual impact of broadband poles.

I wrote to operators on 16 August 2024 calling on them to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice to take into account communities’ concerns. The industry answered my call by convening the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations for operators who plan to deploy telegraph poles, including how to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of the local area. My department will monitor the impact of this new guidance before taking any further steps.