Written question asked by Alex Mayer (Labour) on Friday, 11 October 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 15 October 2024. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Friday, 18 October 2024 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Broadband: East of England

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department has on the number of miles of (a) copper wire and (b) fibre in the internet network in (i) Central Bedfordshire and (ii) the East of England; and how many miles of existing copper wire are planned to be replaced by fibre by the end of 2024.

Answer: The Department does not hold this information. Openreach’s annual review for 2023-24 provides some information for the largest wholesale broadband and network provider, though this does not reflect the market as a whole and does not provide regional breakdowns. This report estimates that delivering broadband across the UK involves more than 250 million kilometres of fibre optic cable and copper wire. This is available via: https://www.openreach.com/about/our-company/annual-review-and-reports

Secondary information