Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 10
Thirty-Fifth Report - Supporting mobile connectivity
Published 28 May 2024
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Supporting mobile connectivity All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
To absorb these additional costs, the Department is considering its options. These include delivering the required increase in 4G coverage but with fewer masts.17 For example, BDUK estimates that only about 170 of the original 292 Extended Area Service masts could be needed to deliver the increase in coverage required of this element, and also understands that the number of masts needed under the Total Not Spots may come down significantly from the current estimate of 260.18 However, the Department acknowledged that, in respect of extra costs being incurred by the Home Office, Ministers could choose to provide more funding, although currently the Department was looking instead to remain within the current cost envelope by optimising the number and placement of masts to deliver the required coverage.19
From: Public Accounts Committee, Thirty-Fifth Report - Supporting mobile connectivity (HC 650), 28 May 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 11 July 2025 (deadline 28 July 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "agrees with the Committee's recommendation" on each of the seven recommendations in the report, giving target implementation dates between December 2024 and January 2027.
- On cost certainty, the government says the grant structure "moves the majority of the financial risk for delivery outside government" and that a capped fund for the Total Not Spot element means its contribution "cannot exceed £300.7 million".
- On areas left without 4G, the government says it "is not possible to predict with a high degree of certainty" which areas these will be at this stage; identification will be undertaken "upon completion of the site acquisition phase". Target date: January 2027.
- On coverage data, the department "will ask that Ofcom examines any cases where areas have lost all mobile connectivity following 3G switch off" and will work with Ofcom to "consider other ways that consumers can report gaps in coverage". Target date: January 2025.
- On 5G, the government says standalone 5G is commercially funded "with no government subsidy", and that it will provide an evaluation of the Open Networks Programme and 5G Innovation Regions "following their conclusion in 2025".