Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
We asked about progress towards resolving the barriers which industry has repeatedly said need to...
Conclusion
We asked about progress towards resolving the barriers which industry has repeatedly said need to be addressed if it is to progress the commercial roll-out to reach 80% of UK premises by 2025. The Department said that it is working on this, but Openreach told us that the legislation introduced by the Department so far on access to property is insufficient to “meaningfully tackle the numerous barriers;” for example they told us that it does not address landlords that seek excessive costs.26 Given its responsibility for broadband policy, we pressed the Department on how vigorously it was pursuing the removal of barriers where responsibility rests with another part of government, including changes to planning regulations and the business rate treatment of fibre.27 The Department stated that it was working with the Department for Transport on streetworks, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on planning, but declined to offer any view or reassurance that the matters are being urgently pursued.28
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.2 The government identified risks and barriers to gigabit rollout in its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (July 2018). Since then, the government’s Barrier Busting Taskforce has made great progress with: ● introducing legislation to make it easier for broadband firms to access blocks of flats. The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill has finished its Parliament passage and is awaiting Royal Assent. ● Consulting on how to ensure all new build developments have gigabit-capable broadband and committed to amending Building Regulations to deliver this reform. ● Acting on access to roads. In 2020, the new digital Street Manager system went live and the updated specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways was introduced by the Department for Transport (DfT) to enable more innovative road reinstatement techniques by operators. ● Continuing to work with DfT on further reforms to simplify street works processes to support broadband deployment. 2.3 Following engagement with stakeholders since the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the government issued a consultation on whether the Electronic Communications Code required further reforms to make it faster and more efficient for operators to install, maintain and upgrade their network apparatus. Government will publish an update on its Barrier Busting work shortly and will continue to work with stakeholders to identify barriers to deployment and take urgent action to address key issues that emerge. 2.4 The government is carrying out a technical consultation with network operators on the use of Huawei equipment in full fibre networks. This is nearing completion and the Secretary of State will announce the outcome in due course.