The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 17th April 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 9 February (HL4988), what estimate they have made of the number of people relying on Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for internet access.
Viscount Camrose (Con): Ofcom estimates that as of October 2022, 13,000 customers have opted for a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband service from Starlink. Based on analysis of Starlink’s data, at least some of these customers are based in areas which do not have access to traditional decent broadband services. Premises may also use satellite services in conjunction with other terrestrial services.
Ofcom estimated that at the end of 2021, there were 25,500 fixed broadband satellite connections. This data represents data collected from a non-exhaustive list of UK satellite service providers (excluding Starlink), and most likely to be based on Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) services.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 9 February (HL4988), how many rural premises have 4G coverage from more than one operator; and what assessment they have made of (1) consumer choice, and (2) higher costs, for broadband users in rural areas.
Viscount Camrose: Ofcom publishes 4G coverage data in its Connected Nations Report. As of September 2022, 4,544,995 (99%) rural premises have outdoor 4G premises coverage from at least one mobile network operator (MNO), with 4,042,465 (88%) having coverage from all 4 MNOs. The Shared Rural Network programme will help provide 4G coverage to 280,000 rural premises and provide consumers with more choice of provider.
Geographically differentiated pricing is not allowed in the UK. Internet Service Providers should therefore not charge differential prices to consumers in rural locations and Ofcom has prohibited Openreach from introducing geographical pricing on its network. Ofcom’s Connected Nation report also shows that 97% of UK homes have access to superfast broadband with gigabit capable infrastructure services available to 70% of premises – which means consumers have a choice of services depending on their area.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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