Broadband: Rural Areas
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to make representations to Ofcom during the Telecoms Access Review to ensure that PIA pricing supports the roll-out of full-fibre broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product. The Department regularly engages with Ofcom and industry stakeholders on these and related issues.
We provide steers to Ofcom through our Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services. Ofcom must have regard to this when making regulatory decisions, including in the context of the Telecoms Access Review.
In July, we published a consultation on a draft updated SSP that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing and the key role of competition to promote investment and the fibre roll-out. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
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