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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to invest in the development of 5G network infrastructure.

We are committed to becoming a world leader in 5G, and for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027. Government recognises that 5G will require substantial industry investment, and that the vast majority of capital investment required to rollout 5G will need to come from the private sector.

However, the government can help foster the development of the ecosystem and is doing so through its 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme. Government has so far allocated £200 million from the National Productivity Investment Fund to the Programme to help establish new business models and revenue streams which in turn could lead to accelerated private sector investment.