5G Connectivity Telford and West Midlands 2026-01-20

Opened the debate

It is good to see the Minister in his place. He is a man with great knowledge of, and passion for, this agenda, and I know he will take it forward in Telford, west midlands and further afield. Despite our beautiful nature and green spaces, Telford is no village; it is a town with over 185,000 people and predicted to reach 200,000 by 2032. Our borough has very patchy 5G connections and poor 4G reception in many areas. Constituents report that they have no 5G connection whatsoever. The council’s research found a significant difference between Ofcom's estimates and real-world experience. My constituents care more about improving coverage itself, but we need better reporting of 5G coverage. In this day and age, connectivity is not just about economic growth but also access to emergency services. I recently met officials who informed me about Ofcom’s reporting tool, but the expectation cannot simply be on residents to report problems when network providers are making millions in profit. I am asking for an opportunity for us to contribute and improve 5G infrastructure.

Government Response

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his speech raising important issues about connectivity in Telford and across the west midlands. I acknowledge the challenges faced by constituents with poor 5G coverage despite being in a region recognised for its best 5G infrastructure. The Government is committed to improving digital connectivity, including through project gigabit. We have provided funding of £1.2 billion towards better broadband and mobile networks. We are working closely with Ofcom and network providers to ensure accurate data reporting and address gaps in coverage. I encourage residents to use the new mapping tool for feedback on poor signal areas. As requested by the hon. Gentleman, my officials will visit Telford to assess the situation firsthand and convene relevant providers. We aim to provide world-class digital services to all communities. First and foremost, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Telford (Shaun Davies) for securing this Adjournment debate. Mobile coverage is an extremely important topic... The Government have an ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher-quality stand-alone 5G by 2030. That of course includes Telford and areas right across the west midlands... I understand my hon. Friend’s concerns about flooding in his local area. There are potential safety risks arising when flooding is combined with a lack of mobile signal, and I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue... To help operators achieve their ambitious roll-out plans, we continue to work closely with them to identify and remove barriers to deployment where it is practical to do so... Finally, I would like to repeat my thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for Telford for securing this debate on such an important topic.