Connected Britain

Minister Ian Murray's speech at ExCeL London

 

You’re being spoilt this morning with two ministers, one straight after the other. It’s great to be here as I take on the Telecoms brief in the new department for Digital Culture Media and Sport.

This is my first outing as the Minister responsible for Telecoms, and I want to start by thanking the team for putting today together, particularly my good friends Minister Lloyd and Minister Pollard, who just yesterday published our new Space Strategy. As they set out, satellite communications sit right at the heart of our national security, our growth agenda, and our future connectivity.

I promised the team I’d keep my remarks focused, but I did want to set out how this new government, and I as your Minister, are approaching this brief.

Connectivity doesn’t start and end with a mobile mast or a broadband cabinet. Success depends on an entire ecosystem. It’s subsea cables, satellites, local fibre networks, planning decisions, cyber resilience and, critically, the skilled workforce, engineers and supply chains who keep the whole system running every single day. It’s the tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of people working across the industry.

That’s why our vision is built on a complete, system-wide approach to digital infrastructure, centred on four key principles which I’ll set out now:

1. Getting people and businesses the connectivity they need, wherever and whenever they need it.

2. Supporting strong UK companies in a healthy, competitive sector with affordable connections for all.

3. Building secure, modern and resilient networks that resist attacks and outages.

4. Creating a globally competitive UK ecosystem in advanced connectivity technologies to lock in our technical sovereignty.

We are building the digital foundations of modern Britain together.

We know that you cannot deliver digitised public services or unlock the massive benefits of AI adoption without rock-solid, reliable, high-quality connectivity.

And our leading operators are key strategic partners in delivering everything from remote health care to smart energy grids and efficient transport systems. And these networks underpin everything from employment opportunities to affordability for households.

Now that the Machinery of Government changes at DCMS bring together telecoms, digital services, broadcasting and online platforms, we have a unique opportunity to drive a joined-up approach across right across government.

You can see this, for example, in our Future of TV Distribution project. As set out in our Green Paper, there is very a strong case for a long-term transition to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). As we consider the future of TV distribution, our core principle is clear: no one should be left behind. Any future transition will only happen with the right safeguards, infrastructure and support in place. But this is an exciting time, it could be the key catalyst for modernising our digital infrastructure, making sure everyone is digitally connected and online, and making the UK the most advanced connected country in the world.

Let me turn to how we’re delivering on this across our key priority areas.

First, delivering connectivity where it’s needed

We hear directly from operators about the practical barriers to roll-out. We’ve listened and, through BDUK, we are delivering.

Gigabit broadband now reaches 88% of premises, with Project Gigabit contracts signed across all the whole of the UK. Over 1.4 million premises have received gigabit-capable coverage through BDUK subsidies, many of the recipients will be here today, approximately 310,000 of those just since July 2024, and we are committed to reach 99% coverage by 2032.

We also launched our new online checker earlier this year, making it easier for every household and business to see when they’ll get an upgrade and when they’ll be connected.

But numbers, as we all know, only tell part of the story. It’s about real-world impact. Take St Keverne Parish Hall in Cornwall. Working with Wildanet, a new full-fibre connection has turned a rural village venue into a thriving digital hub for everyone, supporting community events, virtual sessions, businesses and online payment terminals at local fairs while bringing gigabit speeds to hundreds of nearby homes. A physical community hub has been transformed and is now a digitally connected community hub.

Or take the island of Islay in western Scotland, where a new mast is delivering reliable 4G to residents, local businesses and tourists for the very first time, all while carefully preserving the local landscape and of course, coping with unpredictable weather conditions.

On mobile, we’ve now built or upgraded over 150 masts, bringing 4G to thousands of square kilometres that previously had absolutely zero signal.

We are also tearing down deployment barriers. We’re introducing measures in the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill to improve connectivity in multi-dwelling units, progressing planning system reforms to make it easier to build and rollout, and implementing the PSTI Act to speed up land agreements.

Furthermore, we’re directing Ofcom, and I think we heard from them this morning, to review the Broadband Universal Service Obligation, ensuring fair access to radio spectrum, and assessing sector needs across transport, energy and water for the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy.

Second, keeping the UK market competitive, sustainable and affordable

We launched our Mobile Markets Review Call for Evidence to get your direct views on long-term health of the market. We hear your concerns about the investment climate and we will set out our next steps by the end of this year. Thank you to everyone who was involved in responding.

Meanwhile, our Statement of Strategic Priorities laid in Parliament sets out how we work with Ofcom to drive growth, and initiatives like the Telecoms Consumer Charter and the Digital Inclusion Action Plan prove what we can achieve when government and industry work together to close the digital divide. This benefits industry, it benefits the sector, the wider economy and, critically, it benefits citizens.

Third, building secure and resilient networks

Your operational insights are vital as we update security requirements against evolving threats.

In July this year, we updated the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice. Shortly, we will launch a public consultation on protecting the UK’s subsea cables, alongside our commitment to explore a sovereign UK subsea cable repair capability.

And looking ahead to 6G, we launched the 6G Security and Resilience Principles in March this year alongside our international allies in the Global Coalition on Telecommunications. That coalition includes the US, Japan and Australia and we are ensuring next-generation networks remain secure by design from the outset

Fourth, backing globally competitive ecosystem in advanced connectivity technologies.

Advanced connectivity is one of six frontier technologies backed by our ten-year Industrial Strategy.

We’ve already committed £370 million to this cause in R&D funding across early-stage research, spinouts and scale-ups.

I’m delighted to confirm that since April, we’ve already awarded over £140 million to UK telecoms innovators:

• Further investment in the Future Connectivity Hubs led by Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, with 6G and cloud projects running across all four nations of the UK.
• Over £62 million to British innovators building energy-efficient, resilient networks, to give a couple of examples:
  • GREEN 6G, working with Nokia, Toshiba, BT and Ericsson to cut network energy use by 40%.
  • TEMPEST, partnering with OneWeb and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to deliver secure, resilient timing to infrastructure without relying on non-UK satellite signals.

And finally, and most importantly, we must continue working together. And that’s a commitment I give you as Telecoms Minister.

Whether it’s connecting hard-to-reach rural communities, securing critical infrastructure, sorting the 4G signal in my flat or developing green 6G, this government is committed to giving you the stability and partnership you need to succeed and be the best in the world.

I think this is a hugely exciting time for the sector, and I hope you do as well.

The opportunities for a fully digitised and connected UK are within our grasp. That will bring jobs, growth, new technologies and a better quality of life for every postcode.

We can achieve our joint ambitions and I’m incredibly excited to be working with you all. Thank you for all you do today and in the future.

From: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP