5G: Aerials
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to commission a review of the 2017 Electronic Communications Code reforms to evaluate its potential impact on the deployment of 5G masts.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
Government has no plans to conduct a formal review of the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code before commencing the remaining sections of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
The aim of the 2017 reforms was to encourage investment in digital networks and improve coverage and connectivity across the UK. Following the 2017 reforms, government representatives engaged regularly with stakeholders about their impact, resulting in a consultation on further changes to the Code. These were included in the 2022 Act, which received full Parliamentary scrutiny.
Our ambition is that all populated areas will have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to removing barriers to the digital infrastructure, including reviewing where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of 5G.
Analysis from the EU Commission showed 5G households' coverage in the UK at the end of 2024 (95%) was on par with India, China and ahead of France (94%) and the EU (94.3%), but behind South Korea (100%), Japan (99.2%), Norway, Iceland and Germany (all 99%) as well as USA (97.0%). Since this assessment, UK 5G coverage outside premises has increased to 96%.
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