Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mobile phone signal on westbound rail routes from London.

Having travelled westbound from London to Wales and back again on a weekly basis for twenty four years I know how poor the signal is. That is why I am delighted that DfT have secured funding to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers.

Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, is responsible for reporting on the coverage of mobile networks in the UK. In 2019, Ofcom published data on mobile signal strength along UK railways based on measurement equipment installed on ‘yellow trains’. The Department for Transport and Network Rail are currently repeating this coverage measurement exercise. Ofcom continue to explore the feasibility of reporting on coverage on trains in the most relevant way.