Budget 2018: Ensuring tenants’ access to gigabit-capable connections

We want to know what you think about proposals to make it easier for commercial and residential tenants to access high quality and reliable broadband connections.

The Government is committed to providing the UK with world-class digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable, secure and widely available across the UK - and to do so at pace. We have set an ambitious target of making gigabit-capable networks available to 15 million premises by 2025, with nationwide coverage by 2033.

In July, we published the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review in which we said we would work to identify and remove the barriers to deployment and create a legislative and regulatory environment that encourages investment, reduces costs and allows as many people as possible to receive high quality, reliable broadband.

This consultation is seeking responses on the following proposals:

• Amending the Electronic Communications Code to place an obligation on landlords to facilitate the deployment of digital infrastructure when they receive a request from their tenants.

• Enabling communications providers to use magistrates courts to gain entry to properties where a landlord fails to respond to requests for improved or new digital infrastructure.