Superfast broadband delivery throughout the UK examined

7 December 2015

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee takes evidence from Openreach and BT Group in order to assess where we are now, three years since the first deployments began and to review progress of establishing world-class connectivity throughout the UK.

Witnesses

9 December 2015, Grimond Room, Portcullis House

At 2.15pm

Sean Williams, Group Director Strategy, Policy and Portfolio, BT Group
Kim Mears, Managing Director Infrastructure Delivery, Openreach

At 3.30pm

Chris Townsend, Chief Executive, Broadband Delivery UK
Andrew Field, Superfast Broadband Programme Director, Broadband Delivery UK

Chief executives of Talk Talk and Virgin Media give evidence in the next session scheduled for 15 December 2015.

Purpose of the session

The purpose of this session is to consider the availability of superfast broadband following phase 1 of the Government's intervention and to review its programme to date. Contracts for phase 2 have now been sealed and delivery for some projects is underway. By the end of 2017, £1.7 billion of public money would have been invested in delivering of superfast broadband to rural areas.

The Committee also hears from BDUK, the unit inside DCMS in charge of the programme. The Committee plans to hold a further separate session with BT Group later in the inquiry to concentrate more fully on the issue of reaching the final 5% of hard-to-reach premises which are beyond the scope of the current programme.

Further information

Image: iStockphoto