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5G: Standards

Asked by Shaun DaviesLabourDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 17 March 2026UIN 119533

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has considered introducing minimum quality standards for 5G coverage from mobile providers.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas of the UK to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we are committed to working with industry to support the rollout of standalone 5G across the UK.

The Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess the impact of technological, structural and financial market developments on investment in comprehensive high-quality mobile connectivity. On 10 February 2026, Government published a Call for Evidence to support this assessment, and all stakeholders are encouraged to engage in this process ahead of it closing on 21 April 2026.

As part of the Call for Evidence, we are asking for detailed evidence on how the Government should think about, and define, ‘good’ mobile coverage in relation to the quality of service provided to consumers, businesses and the public sector. We are also looking to understand if there is evidence to suggest that the Government’s standalone 5G coverage ambition should go further.

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