Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Deferred
Remaining 5% without 4G coverage are unpopulated areas with limited benefit for infrastructure.
Conclusion
We were concerned about the people in the 5% of the UK landmass that would have no 4G coverage after December 2025, and whether these communities would lose out forever. The Department assured us that the 5% consisted of the most unpopulated areas of the country, such as extremely remote parts of the Highlands of Scotland. These were extremely rural areas where broadly nobody lives and where there were low levels of people travelling through. The Department pointed out that 95% coverage of the UK landmass would still mean that 99% of UK premises would be reached. As a result, only a very small number of people would have no 4G coverage. The Department’s business case for the programme had shown that the benefits of building significant amounts of infrastructure in really remote areas for very small numbers of beneficiaries ‘fell off a cliff’ beyond 95% coverage.28
Government Response Summary
The government states it's not yet possible to predict exact areas without 4G but will undertake identification of remaining uncovered areas upon completion of the site acquisition phase. It reiterates that few people are expected to be affected.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: January 2027 3.2 It is not possible to predict with a high degree of certainty the areas that will be left out of coverage at this stage in the programme. This is because the final number, composition and location of sites is not yet finalised – nor is it likely to be before the end of 2025. DMSL do already publish a high-level map of where coverage is expected to reach by the end of the programme, available on the SRN website and based on the initial radio plan submitted to Ofcom in 2020. 3.3 It is likely that, while a small percentage of the UK’s landmass will remain uncovered, the number of people living and working in these areas will remain extremely low; Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations report shows that 99% of UK premises already have indoor access to at least one mobile network operator’s 4G network already – meaning that very few premises across the UK are likely to remain without connectivity by the end of the programme. 3.4 Upon completion of the site acquisition phase of the programme, identification of remaining areas not set to be covered by 4G will be undertaken.