6. Debate on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Report: Mobile Action Plan Update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:34 pm on 20 March 2019.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 4:34, 20 March 2019

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I thank Members for taking part in the debate this afternoon? Bethan Sayed, right at the beginning of the debate, pointed out, of course, those people in those notspot areas. And whilst some people who might be watching this debate will be screaming at the screen, saying, 'Hang on, we can't even get any signal at all, why are you talking about 5G?', of course one technology can complement the other. It's not a competition between the two, and Bethan, of course, wasn't even suggesting that. I'm very pleased that Bethan pointed that out. And what I can say to those people who are in those notspot areas is that they certainly do have the ear of the committee, and it's certainly, I think, my view that those areas should go straight from notspot areas to the latest technology. That should be the case. 

Joyce Watson pointed out a number of areas. One area that she touched on, of course, is the importance for business to be connected. That is very, very important—that we are not left behind and that business does have good connectivity. And I'm reminded of the example of the advice that farmers are given, from a health and safety point of view, to always keep their mobile phones in their pockets—don't keep it on the dashboard in the tractor, because, if you have an accident, you might not be able to get to it. But what use is that advice if you've got no signal, which is so often the case in very rural areas where farmers are lone working? 

I think Joyce Watson and David Rowlands both also touched on higher masts and the need for operators to share infrastructure as well. Operators are doing that, which is welcome, and what they tell us is that, if it's easier for them to have taller masts, then they're more likely to share. Well, now we're seeing that change in the planning regime, we'll of course have a close eye on the mobile operators to see that they're doing just that. 

David Rowlands also mentioned—and so did the Deputy Minister—Ofcom's 700 MHz spectrum auction, and I think the Deputy Minister put a challenge out to committee to also lobby Ofcom to raise the bar in this area in terms of making sure that we're on a level playing field with the rest of the UK. And we have done that. I can say that. We, Deputy Minister, wrote a very similar letter to Ofcom's consultation, along the same lines as your own letter to Ofcom as well. 

Jack Sargeant and David Rowlands also talked about 5G and being 5G ready. This technology is yet to be rolled out, but it is important that we're 5G ready. It's not too far in the future, as well. And I think, obviously, 5G is needed for automation and artificial intelligence, areas that the Deputy Minister is very keen on, as well as committee members also. So, this is an important area. We don't want to be the last nation in the UK to be adopting this technology and being 5G ready. I would put out the challenge: why can't we be ahead of any other nation across the UK? Why can't we lead the way on this occasion, rather than lagging behind as we have done in other parts of mobile connectivity?

I think, finally, I would just like to thank all the stakeholders that gave evidence, either oral evidence or written evidence. Thank you to committee members. Thank you to the clerking team and the integrated team for their support also, and those who took part in the debate today. I'd also like to thank the Deputy Minister for thanking himself. [Laughter.] But I do commend our report today to the Assembly.