Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Thirty-Fifth Report - Supporting mobile connectivity
Public Accounts Committee
HC 650
Published 28 May 2024
Recommendations
15
Accepted
Planning process and site-by-site analysis now identifying specific benefits of individual mast locations.
Recommendation
BDUK added that subsequent decisions about where masts should be located is allowing for greater specificity in identifying the programme’s benefits. For example, when seeking planning permission, DMSL must submit business plans for each cluster of masts and these should …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to refreshing its benefits model and cost-benefit analysis by December 2024, using new data, conducting a consumer value study, gathering innovative benefits data, and undertaking further qualitative research to assess the programme's benefits.
HM Treasury
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20
Accepted
Indoor mobile coverage data is crucial, especially as 3G networks are switched off.
Recommendation
For the Shared Rural Network programme, the Department reports progress on improving outdoor coverage and not indoor coverage. The Department confirmed that it collects data on indoor coverage. Understanding whether people can get a mobile signal indoors is important because, …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to working with Ofcom to improve mobile coverage reporting, including exploring additional data sources and consumer reporting mechanisms, and will ask Ofcom to examine cases where 3G switch-off leads to loss of connectivity and to report on standalone 5G coverage.
HM Treasury
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22
Accepted
Ofcom is set to publish improved local coverage data, but public reporting is needed.
Recommendation
As part of the wireless infrastructure strategy, the Department asked Ofcom to improve its understanding of local coverage gaps. In 2023, Ofcom started using crowdsourced data to better measure the speed of connection that people experience at a local level. …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to working with Ofcom by January 2025 to explore methods for consumers to report coverage gaps and to incorporate third-party data to improve mobile coverage reporting.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (17)
2
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department has not identified the specific benefits it is aiming to achieve in the most remote areas of the UK to help guide decisions on where investment is most needed to improve connectivity. To secure good value from the Shared Rural Network programme, the Department needs to know where …
Government Response Summary
The department will refresh its benefits model and cost-benefit analysis using new data, including a study on consumer willingness to pay for connectivity, and will gather benefits data from exercise apps and conduct qualitative research with stakeholders.
4
Conclusion
Accepted
The mobile coverage reported by Ofcom does not always reflect the actual level of service that businesses and consumers experience, and which may sometimes be significantly worse than reported. The data that Ofcom publishes on mobile coverage across the UK is based on modelled estimates provided by the mobile network …
Government Response Summary
The department is working with Ofcom to obtain more granular signal data, experiment with crowd-sourced data, and consider appropriate signal thresholds. It will also ask Ofcom to examine cases of lost connectivity after 3G switch-off and report on standalone 5G coverage while reviewing 4G/5G definitions.
6
Conclusion
Accepted
Progress in improving connectivity on UK railways has been hampered by a lack of up-to-date coverage data. Mobile connectivity along major rail routes remains poor and passengers can often struggle to make calls, stream videos or work online. Improving rail connectivity is very challenging, with tunnels, cuttings and safety glass …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and has asked Ofcom to investigate using in-carriage scanners and crowdsourced data for rail connectivity. The Department for Transport has also commissioned a study using external scanners on engineering trains to establish baseline data by early 2025, with progress to be outlined in future Treasury Minute updates.
1
Conclusion
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (the Department) and Building Digital UK (BDUK), an agency of the Department, on progress in delivering UK-wide reliable mobile connectivity that meets the country’s needs now and …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's introductory conclusion and provides a general update on the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, stating that the overarching 95% coverage target is expected to be met ahead of schedule and within budget, with financial risk managed through existing grant agreements.
9
Conclusion
Accepted
Both the Department and BDUK acknowledged that there have been significant cost challenges on the programme.15 On the Extended Area Service element of the programme, 7 C&AG’s Report, paras 7, 2.5 and 2.6 8 C&AG’s Report, paras 3 and 15; Department for Science, Innovation & Technology UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the 95% coverage target is on track to be met within budget, highlighting that the SRN grant structure caps government financial contribution for Total Not Spots, and BDUK is working to achieve maximum benefit within existing Extended Area Service funding.
10
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government confirms the 95% coverage target is expected to be met within budget, citing the SRN's capped grant fund for Total Not Spots that limits government contribution and requires MNOs to cover additional costs, while BDUK works to maximize benefit within Extended Area Service funding.
11
Conclusion
Accepted
BDUK said that the mobile network operators will pick up any additional costs they incur in delivering the programme as they are required to deliver the coverage obligations in their licences from Ofcom. However, the licences also allow the operators relief from these obligations if costs have been excessive. BDUK …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the 95% coverage target is on track to be met ahead of schedule and within budget, emphasising that the Shared Rural Network's grant agreement structure caps government financial contributions, thereby transferring delivery risk to MNOs.
13
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department’s business case for the programme as a whole identified a range of benefits, such as supporting tourism and business productivity in rural areas. It estimated that the programme would result in quantifiable benefits of £1,352 million. However, the business case included limited evidence of the specific benefits of …
Government Response Summary
The government committed to refreshing its benefits model and cost-benefit analysis using new data, undertaking a study on consumer willingness to pay, gathering innovative benefits data from sources like exercise apps, and conducting further qualitative research to increase the evidence base on benefits in remote areas.
14
Conclusion
Accepted
A number of stakeholders from Scotland, in areas which were particularly remote, have raised concerns about the programme’s impact on the environment and questioned whether the benefits justified the investment of taxpayers’ money.24 We therefore asked if the Department had done enough in its business case to identify the cost-benefit …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to refreshing its benefits model and cost-benefit analysis by December 2024, including a new study on consumer willingness to pay and qualitative research, with findings to inform a Spending Review bid.
18
Conclusion
Accepted
We asked the Department about the scope for using alternative technologies, such as low earth orbit satellites in place of masts, to provide mobile coverage in those areas which would still have no 4G coverage after the completion of the Shared Rural Network programme. The Department told us that it …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion but primarily reiterates that the Shared Rural Network is technology-neutral, allowing partners to choose the best technologies, including satellite if it meets minimum speed requirements, without committing to specific new actions regarding satellite trials or deployment.
19
Conclusion
Accepted
Ofcom is responsible for collecting and publishing data on mobile coverage. Ofcom’s coverage data are based on modelled estimates provided by the mobile network operators. Ofcom checks the modelled data by conducting sample tests using antennas attached to some of its vehicles.33 We showed the Department maps of 4G and …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to working with Ofcom by January 2025 to improve mobile coverage reporting by obtaining more granular signal strength data from MNOs and experimenting with crowdsourced data to better align reported coverage with real-life experience.
21
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department told us that local gaps in 4G coverage may not be due to the lack of a mast, but due to the nature of the equipment on that mast; for example, the antennas may not be angled correctly or the equipment may not be strong enough to provide …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and commits to working with Ofcom by January 2025 to obtain more granular signal strength and quality data from MNOs, and to experiment with crowdsourced data to better understand local 4G coverage gaps.
23
Conclusion
Accepted
As part of its Shared Rural Network programme, the Department aims to extend 4G coverage to 280,000 additional premises and an additional 16,000 kilometres of UK roads by December 2025.42 Many of the expected benefits of the programme come from increased premises coverage.43 To ensure that mobile network operators deliver …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states BDUK is engaging with Ofcom and MNOs to establish ways to track roads and premises coverage ahead of the official licence obligation assessment in January 2027, with a target implementation date of January 2025.
26
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department recognised that it needs to do more work to understand its impact on road coverage, and told us it is working with Ofcom and with the mobile network operators to improve the information available.50 Nevertheless, the Department told us that it is confident that, come December 2025, it …
Government Response Summary
The government states BDUK is committed to working with Ofcom and mobile network operators to ensure mobile coverage data continues to be published and expanded, and is engaging to consider publishing decimal point coverage figures and better tracking roads and premises coverage ahead of the 2027 license obligation assessment.
28
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department told us that it lacks sufficiently detailed data of coverage across the railways. To understand the coverage challenges along different stretches of track, it needs data for each metre. In 2020, the National Infrastructure Commission recommended that Ofcom should report on mobile coverage on the railways at least …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states it has asked Ofcom to report on rail coverage and investigate new data methods, while the Department for Transport has commissioned a study using scanners on engineering trains to establish baseline data by early 2025.
29
Conclusion
Accepted
The Department told us that Network Rail, and in turn therefore the Department for Transport and its accounting officer, are responsible for the business case for improving connectivity on the railways. Owing to the infrastructure required, the case for improving connectivity has to be judged alongside other priorities for investment …
Government Response Summary
The department has asked Ofcom to report on mobile coverage on the rail network in its annual report and the DfT commissioned a study using scanners to measure mobile signal strength. The department will outline progress in future updates.
30
Conclusion
Accepted
Government’s plans for investing in future mobile connectivity are set out in its 2023 wireless infrastructure strategy. 5G is the latest generation of wireless technology. Non-standalone 5G, which makes use of existing 4G infrastructure, can be faster than 4G, while standalone 5G technology, which uses 5G infrastructure throughout, enables even …
Government Response Summary
The government reiterates its commercially-led strategy for standalone 5G deployment, without subsidy, and describes existing and ongoing programmes like the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, 5G Testbeds and Trials, Open Networks, and 5G Innovation Regions, with future evaluations planned for 2025.