Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on providing full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.

The government has a target to deliver 99% gigabit broadband coverage by 2032 and an ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G coverage by 2030.

Significant progress has already been made, as reported in Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring 2026 report. As of January 2026, 88% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband, up from 82% in July 2024, and standalone 5G is available outside of 93% of premises across the UK, up from 83% in July 2025.

We have created a competition-friendly environment in areas where gigabit deployment is commercially viable, and we are focusing government funds on the remaining areas of the country where commercial deployment is unlikely. As of the end of December 2025, over 1.3 million UK premises in rural and hard to reach areas had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government funded programmes, including through Project Gigabit.

The rollout of higher quality standalone 5G is being led by commercial investment from the three mobile network operators. All three network operators have committed significant investment plans which align with this Government’s ambition, and through the Mobile Market Review we are looking to better understand how government can go further in supporting the sector to deliver widespread, high-quality connectivity.