LGA digital connectivity guide

Digital connectivity underpins modern public services, inclusive growth, and resilient communities. From fixed gigabit broadband to mobile networks, it supports everything from efficient public services and inclusive economic growth to social wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and the resilience of local communities. Delivering this connectivity at pace and to a high standard depends on strong collaboration between central government, regulators, telecoms operators, local government, public sector landlords, infrastructure providers, tower companies, and the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. Each plays a distinct role, but it is councils that provide the critical local leadership and convening power needed to align national ambitions with the realities of local places.

This guide helps elected members, officers, and providers work with communities in a practical tone so that each stakeholder understands what to expect from local government, and what local government needs from them.

Introduction to digital connectivity

This chapter provides a shared grounding in what digital connectivity is, how the different networks operate, and why they matter for local places. It is intended to give officers, councillors and partners the essential context they need before moving into more detailed policy, planning and delivery guidance later in the document.

Digital connectivity describes the fixed and mobile networks that allow people, businesses, and public services to access the internet. These networks vary in how they are built, powered, and maintained, but all require coordination with local planning, highways, asset management and community engagement.

We have different fixed and mobile networks because each technology plays a distinct role in the connectivity landscape, with fixed networks providing high capacity and stable connections to premises, and mobile networks offering flexible coverage for people and devices on the move, so together they create a resilient and complementary digital infrastructure.

To understand the council’s role, it's helpful to start with the core technologies that make up the UK’s connectivity landscape:

Fixed networks include:

• fibre to the premises (FTTP)
• fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)
• cable networks
• copper networks, like the Public Switched Telephone Network (this is currently being retired)
• leased lines used by public estate and businesses
• wireless or satellite options for harder-to-reach areas, including rural and remote areas, as well as being used within dense urban contexts. Satellite and wireless offer resilience, broadcast capability and an option for where deployment barriers exist.

Complementing these fixed technologies are mobile networks, which offer flexibility and reach across communities:

Mobile networks include:

• 4G and 5G services covering most day-to-day mobile use
• 5G, including small cell equipment and upgrades to macro sites (larger mobile mast sites)
• 2G networks (that will be retired in 2029, 2030 and by 2033)
• standalone (SA) 5G infrastructure
• 3G has been phased out across the UK and is no longer in use.

These networks shape how people access services, participate in the economy, and stay connected with their communities, and operate within a wider policy, regulatory and commercial environment that shapes how and where they are deployed.

National context and local delivery

National policy sets the direction for broadband rollout, mobile coverage, and wider market conditions. For councils, the most relevant factors include:

Government programmes

• Project Gigabit: delivers gigabit-capable broadband to premises not included in suppliers’ commercial delivery plans, particularly in hard-to-reach areas
• Shared Rural Network: a joint programme between the UK government and the major mobile network operators to extend 4G mobile coverage to over 95 per cent of the UK landmass. This met its objective but continues in delivery through to January 2027.
• National ambition for higher quality 5G coverage in all populated areas by 2030.

Regulator role

• Ofcom has a role in:
  • spectrum management (spectrum is the foundation of wireless technology, and in telecoms it is divided up and licensed for specific purposes in order for things like 5G to function)
  • coverage reporting
  • addressing consumer outcomes.
• Councils can access Ofcom hosted coverage maps and guidance to inform policy and delivery.

Legislative changes

• The Electronic Communications Code (ECC) which shapes site access and valuations.
• The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act.
• National planning reforms affecting digital infrastructure delivery.
• The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) provides the legal framework for development in England, which significantly impacts digital connectivity by governing the deployment of infrastructure like masts, fibre, and cabinets.
• Transition timelines for 2G/3G networks and the PSTN (analogue landline) switch-off.

Understanding these drivers can help councils support local economic growth, anticipate demand on planning and highways teams, identify local risks early and engage effectively with providers.

These national drivers shape the environment in which councils carry out their responsibilities.

Key council functions

Councils combine planning authority functions, highways & streetworks coordination, estate and asset management, community engagement, and democratic accountability:

Planning and development management

• Assessing applications for masts, cabinets and related infrastructure.
• Embedding digital expectations in Local Plans and design codes.
• Supporting predictable, transparent decision-making for providers.

Highways and streetworks

• Issuing permits for fibre build and coordinating works with other utility activity.
• Ensuring reinstatement quality and minimising disruption to communities.
• Managing local assets such as chambers, ducts, and poles where appropriate.

Estate and asset management

• Providing access to buildings, rooftops, and street furniture.
• Managing wayleaves and leases consistently.
• Considering connectivity alongside wider estates strategy.

Community leadership and engagement

• Communicating with residents about planned works, benefits, and any concerns.
• Helping ensure local needs are reflected in regional or national delivery routes.
• Responding to local concerns with clear and factual information about digital infrastructure.

This chapter provides an overview of fixed connectivity. It covers fibre networks, broadband technologies, and the routes through which networks are built. It highlights the practical role councils play in planning, coordinating, and enabling deployment, and sets out considerations for ensuring networks support wider place‑based priorities, including inclusion, growth, and service transformation.

Key terms

• Broadband: Defined by download speeds – decent (10 Mbps), superfast (30 Mbps), ultrafast (defined as either 100Mbps or 300 Mbps, depending on the context), and gigabit (1000 Mbps / 1 Gbps); faster speeds and greater reliability enable more simultaneous use and support cloud services for both households and businesses. Speed is only one service parameter. The nature of service requirement is also defined by characteristics such as latency, capacity, price, security, reliability, resilience, energy consumption and carbon cost. Decent is defined by the Broadband Universal Service Obligation. 
• Full fibre: UK Government has a target for nationwide (99 per cent) gigabit coverage by 2032; full-fibre eliminates speed loss from distance and future-proofs local economies, as well as increasing reliability and resilience. Not all gigabit connections are full fibre.
• Wayleave: A wayleave is a contractual agreement between a landowner or landlord and a telecommunications provider, where the landowner grants the network provider a licence with the right to access land and/or property, to install and/or maintain electronic communications apparatus. Wayleaves are commonly used for the deployment of fixed-line broadband infrastructure.
• CPE (Customer Premise Equipment): Permissions may also be required for the installation of customer premise equipment, needed to support wireless and satellite connections.

What broadband technologies mean for key areas of impact

Economic resilience and growth

• Gigabit-capable networks support business productivity, local investment, remote working, and the resilience of high streets and industrial areas. Stable, reliable networks allow for predictability of services and cater for demands of growth.

Public service transformation

• Cloud-based systems connected devices, and modern digital tools rely on stable, high-speed fixed connections across the public estate.

Future-proof infrastructure

• Gigabit-capable connectivity provides long-term capacity, reduces the frequency of civil works, and supports backhaul for future mobile technologies.

Reducing inequalities

• Poor infrastructure can reinforce existing inequalities. Local decisions on deployment should align with wider digital inclusion work on affordability, access to devices, and digital skills.

Realising these benefits requires active local leadership and clear strategic planning to navigate nationally directed programmes.

National delivery programmes and remaining gaps

Commercial builds have driven most coverage; Project Gigabit is designed to reach the harder areas, with BDUK (Building Digital UK), now part of DSIT, reporting multimillion pound procurements and voucher support up to £4,500 per eligible premises where no commercial or contracted build exists. 

Project Gigabit

• Supports gigabit-capable rollout to hard‑to‑reach areas. Councils contribute to data validation, local coordination, and early engagement with residents and businesses.
• Project Gigabit contracts are in place covering almost all non-urban areas of the country.
• The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) is part of Project Gigabit. The scheme provides small grants, known as vouchers, to eligible homes and businesses towards the cost of a broadband network upgrade. Voucher projects typically involve small clusters of at least two premises. The scheme provides vouchers worth up to £4,500 per eligible premises towards small-scale gigabit-capable broadband builds in areas where no commercial or publicly funded plans exist.
• The GBVS is accepting new projects until August 2026 and will close in March 2028. This is because remaining premises requiring government subsidy to access gigabit broadband are being incorporated into larger, contracted Project Gigabit builds which are expected to be the main intervention route to achieve 99 per cent nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032.

Although vouchers are administered by BDUK (now part of DSIT) and suppliers, councils are often involved in:

• signposting or clarifying eligibility where communities seek support
• engaging with providers to coordinate works and minimise disruption
• helping address complex access issues, such as private roads or multi‑landowner sites.

The GBVS helps improve access, but voucher‑funded projects can create a complex mix of small‑scale and often reactive build activities. This presents coordination challenges while also offering opportunities to strengthen local infrastructure planning and community engagement. By establishing clear internal points of contact and maintaining adequate capacity, councils are more able to manage these pressures effectively and maximise the wider benefits of gigabit‑capable deployment.

What local government does in practice

Clear policy expectations and existing legislation help ensure gigabit-ready infrastructure is standard in new housing and commercial sites. Councils influence fixed connectivity rollout through several core functions:

Planning and development management

• Embedding expectations for digital infrastructure into Local Plans and design codes.
• Ensuring new developments are gigabit-ready.
• Providing consistent and predictable decision-making.

Highways and streetworks

• Coordinating fibre build alongside other utilities.
• Managing reinstatement standards and inspection regimes.
• Sequencing works to reduce disruption to communities.

Asset and estates management

• Handling requests for access to public buildings, rooftops, and land.
• Ensuring wayleave processes are clear and proportionate.
• Aligning telecoms access with broader estate strategies.

Community engagement

• Communicating planned works and expected benefits.
• Supporting residents through changes in local infrastructure.
• Addressing concerns and escalating issues to providers early.

What councils need from others

Delivering fast, reliable digital connectivity depends on strong partnership working between local government, central bodies, regulators, and operators. Councils often act as conveners and coordinators, but their effectiveness relies on the information, resources, and commitments provided by national and industry partners. 

The points below set out the key types of support that enable local authorities to plan confidently, reduce disruption, and accelerate deployment in a way that benefits residents, businesses, and place‑based priorities.

From central government (including BDUK)

• Clear forward visibility of upcoming procurements and anticipated commercial/contracted coverage to support planning, resource allocation, and coordination with other local infrastructure programmes.

From Ofcom

• Reliable data to guide evidence‑based decisions, identify underserved areas, and engage effectively with operators and communities.

From operators

• Realistic build schedules shared early to align streetworks and manage expectations locally.
• Proactive communication with councils and residents before and during deployment.
• High‑quality restoration of highways and public spaces to statutory standards, ensuring trust and minimising rework.

Councils may benefit from shared practice and guidance on:

• effective coordination models and role definitions
• managing relationships with multiple altnets and incumbents
• addressing complex wayleave or access challenges
• supporting communities navigating voucher-funded builds
• integrating connectivity decisions with digital inclusion strategies

Councils in England play a significant role in closing the remaining connectivity gap. As planning authorities and managers of highways and streetworks, they directly influence the speed and efficiency of fibre deployment. They also hold valuable public assets, such as buildings and street furniture, that can host telecoms equipment. These responsibilities mean that strong local policy, effective permitting processes and sufficient capacity are essential.

This chapter outlines how mobile connectivity is delivered, the current landscape for 4G and 5G rollout, and the implications of upcoming technology changes. It sets out the practical role councils play through planning, highways, asset management, and community engagement, and highlights the need for clear internal coordination and sufficient officer capacity to support efficient delivery. 

Mobile networks have evolved from 2G, which enabled basic calls and texts, to 3G with early mobile internet, to 4G delivering fast, app‑based data services, and now 5G providing high‑capacity, low‑latency connectivity to support advanced digital and smart‑place technologies.

Councils have a direct influence on mobile coverage. They approve mast sites and manage access to public estate, with planning decisions and wayleave negotiations often determining whether operators can meet coverage targets. 

At the same time, councils deliver social care including some telecare services that still rely on older mobile networks. As these networks are retired, councils must audit their service dependencies and coordinate upgrades to avoid avoidable risks or service failures for vulnerable residents.

Introduction to mobile connectivity

Economic and community benefits

• Mobile connectivity supports local businesses, tourism, transport systems, public Wi‑Fi, and remote working. It is essential for rural inclusion, smart transport solutions, and fostering innovation.

Public safety and resilience

• Mobile networks underpin emergency services communications, support remote monitoring and telecare, and are essential during emergencies. 
• Gaps in coverage can pose significant risks to vulnerable users and isolated communities.
• During severe weather, power outages, and storm events, loss of mobile connectivity can disrupt emergency coordination, public alerts, and support for vulnerable residents. Local authorities work closely through Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) multi‑agency partnerships established under the Civil Contingencies Act, to plan for telecommunications outages, coordinate response, and maintain communication. 

Transformation of local services

Local authorities rely on mobile (and other wireless) networks for:

• frontline social care technologies used in homes and communities
• lone worker devices for staff in the field
• environmental monitoring, including air-quality, flood, and waste sensors
• high‑volume mobile data used in public spaces, town centres, and events
• a foundation for future technologies such as advanced internet of things (IOT) and smart place services
• CCTV and rapid-deployment cameras for public safety
• real-time transport and traffic systems, including bus tracking and smart parking
• mobile access to council systems for highways, inspection, and enforcement teams
• community access to digital services and reporting tools via mobile data
• resilience and emergency response.

Mobile infrastructure forms the basis for future public-service innovation, including sensor networks, environmental monitoring, intelligent transport systems, and delivering net zero commitments.

Considerations for mobile connectivity

• Coverage gaps: While mobile is taken for granted in urban areas, rural “partial coverage” or “not spots” do remain; not all operators serve every area. 
• Capacity gaps: Capacity is the ability of the network to handle calls, texts, and data demands made. An increase of demands on mobile enabled technology, paired with requirements for 5G coverage, means that capacity needs are increasingly important to allow effective access to the network. 
• Infrastructure evolution: Councillors should understand different cell infrastructure; macro masts, small cells, 5G equipment, and their site requirements. 
• 5GSA: 5GSA (standalone) is highlighted as an opportunity to address some capacity constraints; councils need to support deployment through planning and local infrastructure alignment. 
• 5G rollout: All operators have committed significant investment which aligns with the Government’s ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030. The merger of Vodafone‑Three with planned £11bn investment aims for 99 per cent population reach, though local authorities should enable infrastructure through planning reform. 
• Legacy switch-offs: 2G networks are being phased out, and scheduled from 2029 to 2033; councils and other bodies must audit their device dependencies. Awareness campaigns are needed to support vulnerable service users during the transition.

Coverage and capacity

Mobile coverage and quality of service vary by geography, terrain, population density and the presence of appropriate sites for mobile infrastructure.

• Gaps in 4G coverage remain in some rural and coastal areas.
• 5G rollout is expanding in towns and cities, with standalone 5G expected to reach all populated areas in the coming years.
• Reliable mobile connectivity is increasingly essential for public services, businesses and residents, especially with the transition away from legacy networks. 
• The Shared Rural Network (SRN) has lifted 4G geographic coverage to 96 per cent of UK landmass.

A useful resource is Connected Nations, Ofcom’s annual report on progress in the availability of broadband and mobile services in the UK, including the roll-out of fixed full-fibre and mobile 5G networks. 

Without parallel prioritisation of digital inclusion, full fibre and 5G risk widening inequalities, creating digitally “left‑behind” neighbourhoods that cannot take advantage of increased speeds, online services, or digital business models. Councils can mitigate this by coordinating inclusion programmes alongside infrastructure planning.

The current landscape for mobile connectivity rollout

5G rollout 

5G capacity and performance improvements rely on a mix of:

• upgrading macro sites
• deploying small cells on street furniture
• replacing sites via NTQs (notice to quits).

For councils, the main areas of interaction include:

• applications for new or upgraded masts
• access to buildings, rooftops, and street furniture
• coordinating with multiple operators working in the same locality
• managing resident concerns
• supporting reliable information dissemination.

Sunsetting 2G and 3G networks

Mobile network operators have switched off their 3G networks and preparing for phased closure of the main 2G networks later in the decade (EE in 2029, Vodafone Three in 2030, and VMO2 by 2033). VMO2 closed its 2G network to international roaming in 2025. This shift has direct implications for councils.

Impacts on local services

Councils must assess where 2Gdevices are still in use, including:

• telecare, assisted living technologies and medical devices
• lifts, alarms, and building management systems
• transport and parking infrastructure
• environmental sensors and monitoring equipment.

Risks

If not identified and upgraded in time, legacy devices may fail, affecting vulnerable residents and critical building systems.

What councils can do:

• undertake a full audit of device dependencies across the public estate
• work with suppliers and service providers to understand upgrade requirements
• coordinate resident communications, particularly for telecare users
• engage early with operators to understand local sunsetting timeline.

For detailed timelines for each mobile network operator’s 2G switch‑off, along with Government and industry commitments, see: www.gov.uk/government/collections/telecommunications-modernisation#mobile and www.gov.uk/guidance/telecommunications-modernisation-connectivity-timeline.

What local government does in practice

Councils shape the feasibility and efficiency of mobile rollout through several statutory and strategic functions.

Planning and development management

• Assessing applications for new, upgraded, and replacement masts.
• Balancing connectivity needs with visual, heritage, or environmental considerations.
• Providing clarity on industry requirements of mast design.
• Supporting predictable, evidence-based decisions.

Highways and streetworks

• Coordinating access for works to upgrade or install equipment.
• Managing permits and minimising disruption.
• Ensuring reinstatement is carried out to appropriate standards.

Asset and estate management

• Managing requests for access to buildings and land for mobile equipment
• Ensuring timely, consistent, and legally robust decisions
• Considering changes under the Electronic Communications Code (ECC):
  • increased disputes between operators and landowners
  • delays to upgrading or retaining existing sites
  • challenges for councils managing rooftop or land-based sites
  • a clear internal position on valuations, lease terms, and escalation routes can help reduce uncertainty.

Community engagement and communication

• Supporting residents to understand the benefits of improved coverage.
• Addressing concerns about siting, appearance, and perceived health risks.
• Providing clear information about planned works and local impacts.

Internal coordination and capacity

Mobile rollout often overlaps with other infrastructure programmes, creating operational pressure. As with fixed connectivity, councils benefit from:

• a named officer or coordinating function to manage engagement with operators
• clear internal routes between planning, highways, legal, and estates
• sufficient officer capacity to handle peaks in applications, queries, and technical issues
• established escalation pathways to address urgent or complex cases.

Together, these functions mean that councils play a central role in shaping how effectively mobile networks are planned, built, and upgraded. When councils have clear processes, coordinated internal teams, and sufficient capacity, rollout becomes smoother, more predictable, and better aligned with local priorities. This not only reduces delays and disruption but also ensures communities benefit sooner from improved mobile coverage and the wider digital services it enables.

This chapter sets out how local policy, planning, and governance arrangements shape the deployment of digital infrastructure. It highlights the importance of clear expectations within planning policy, robust internal coordination, and dedicated officer capacity to manage increasingly complex relationships with providers and national programmes.

Why governance matters

Digital infrastructure involves planning, highways, estates, regeneration, legal, ICT, and community engagement. Without structured governance, councils may experience fragmented decisions, inconsistent engagement with operators, and avoidable disruption for communities.

Good governance provides:

• clarity on internal roles
• predictable processes for operators and infrastructure providers
• coordinated responses to issues
• routes for escalation and strategic oversight.

Embedding connectivity in local strategy and policy

Connectivity is most effective when it is integrated into mainstream council policy rather than treated as a niche, technical concern. When digital infrastructure is embedded across planning, regeneration, economic development, social care, transport, and environmental strategies, it becomes part of how places function and grow. This ensures that decisions about land use, public assets, community services, and long-term investment all support better digital outcomes. It also helps councils anticipate future needs, align connectivity with wider priorities such as inclusion and net zero, and create a more coherent, joined up approach that benefits residents, businesses, and public services alike. The 10 Year UK Infrastructure Strategy calls out the interplat with telecoms and energy, water and transport sectors.

Strategic planning

Councils increasingly incorporate digital infrastructure into:

• Local Plans and design codes
• regeneration and town centre strategies
• economic development plans
• corporate strategy and transformation programmes.

Clear policy expectations, such as gigabit‑ready development or early dialogue with providers reduces uncertainty and help align infrastructure with local priorities. Some councils also have a dedicated digital infrastructure strategy to support this ambition.

Planning and highways: governance rather than process

Operational detail is covered elsewhere in the guide; here the focus is on how governance supports planning and highways teams.

Effective arrangements include:

• clear internal guidance for managing telecoms applications
• consistent assessment of proposals for masts and streetworks
• shared visibility of planned works and potential conflicts
• predictable decision-making rooted in national policy.

Senior oversight helps ensure planning and highways capacity aligns with the scale of local deployment activity.

Managing council assets

Councils handle a wide range of access requests for buildings, rooftops and land. 

Successful governance ensures:

• timely, consistent handling of access and valuation
• clear processes for agreeing or refusing sites
• alignment between estates, legal, planning, and local priorities
• a consistent approach to matters arising from the Electronic Communications Code

Given complexity and workload, legal and estates teams benefit from stable processes and clarity on who leads decision-making. GOV.UK provides guidance on access to assets.

Internal coordination and capacity

Many delivery challenges relate to internal organisation rather than technical issues.

Useful approaches include:

• a clearly identified coordinating officer or small team
• regular cross-departmental discussions focused on upcoming works
• agreed routes for escalations and urgent issues
• alignment of capacity across planning, highways, estates and communications.

This role does not need to be specialist but does need authority to convene teams and maintain oversight.

Using data and local intelligence

Councils use a mixture of local intelligence and external data to support decision-making, including:

• coverage information shared by providers
• local GIS and planning datasets
• resident and councillor feedback
• insights from streetworks activity
• information from neighbouring authorities.

This helps councils identify emerging issues, anticipate demand and engage proactively with providers.

Working with providers and national programmes

Code Operators and their agents often contact multiple parts of a council at once. Governance structures help ensure:

• a joined-up council response
• timely handling of issues
• effective planning for future needs
• realistic expectations around capacity
• clear and accurate public communication
• constructive engagement with BDUK, Ofcom and other national bodies.

Councils are essential partners in ensuring local rollout is coordinated, efficient, and aligned with place needs.

Community engagement

Residents expect clarity about what is being built, why, and when disruptions will occur. Councils support good communication by:

• ensuring providers engage with communities consistently, in accessible formats, and with consideration for where engagement is required or not 
• sharing timely information across channels
• addressing misconceptions or concerns
• equipping councillors with accurate, accessible briefings.

Coordinated communications help manage expectations and support community confidence.

Effective policy, planning, and governance create the conditions for reliable digital infrastructure. Clear internal roles, coordinated processes, realistic capacity planning, and strong relationships with providers all help councils shape deployment in a way that supports local priorities. When these elements are in place, councils can respond confidently, support communities, and ensure digital connectivity contributes meaningfully to wider ambitions for place.

Why inclusion matters for connectivity

Improving broadband or mobile networks only delivers benefits when residents can afford to connect, have appropriate devices, possess the digital skills, and feel confident using online services. Affordability has become one of the most significant barriers to digital participation: millions of households are eligible for discounted broadband through social tariffs, yet uptake remains extremely low. 

Digital exclusion is closely tied to poverty, health inequalities, and access to services. Residents who cannot get online face worse health outcomes, limited employment opportunities, and higher everyday costs. Upgraded infrastructure alone does not guarantee increased digital participation if affordability barriers remain in place.

Social tariffs are reduced‑cost broadband packages for people on low incomes or receiving certain benefits. They offer reliable, fast connectivity at a lower, fixed monthly price, with no mid‑contract rises or exit fees. They can save eligible households hundreds of pounds a year. However, awareness remains low, the switching process can seem complex, and it is often reported that these products do not always meet household requirements.

Urban vs rural

Digital inclusion challenges look different depending on the local context.

Rural areas

Rural communities often face several barriers:

• weaker or inconsistent connectivity, and
• limited access to physical support, such as fewer libraries or community hubs
• Increased distances to travel to reach community spaces, and often absent public transport.

Residents may rely heavily on mobile data, and connectivity improvements (e.g., SRN mast upgrades) can be particularly impactful but only if people are supported to make use of them.

Urban areas

Urban areas tend to have better physical infrastructure but often higher concentrations of:

• poverty
• affordability barriers
• residents relying on pay‑as‑you‑go data or shared devices.

Disconnected residents in urban areas may live with proximity to high‑quality networks, so inclusion work needs to focus on cost, skills, and confidence, rather than infrastructure.

Infrastructure only creates value when people can afford to connect, have a suitable device, possess essential skills and confidence, and can access services that are designed inclusively.

What councils are doing now

Across both contexts, councils deliver inclusion through:

• libraries and community hubs
• local voluntary and community partners
• skills support
• access to devices or Wi‑Fi.

These local networks often reach residents who also struggle with connectivity, affordability or both.

Councils play a vital role in ensuring connectivity is accessible and meaningful locally. Their trusted relationships, reach into services that support vulnerable people, and understanding of local needs make them central to driving uptake:

Helping residents navigate a market

Many residents are unaware they qualify for social tariffs, assume switching will be disruptive or costly, or believe discounted packages are inferior. Councils, libraries, and VCSE partners can help people understand their options, compare social tariffs, switch easily, and avoid poor‑value bundles.

Promoting social tariffs proactively

Social tariff uptake remains very low. Councils can embed signposting across benefits advice, housing, adult social care, and library services, and use moments like fibre builds or mast upgrades to raise awareness. Working with community partners also helps residents who need hands‑on support with switching.

Supporting households with access barriers

Some residents cannot get fixed broadband due to housing type or permissions. Councils can work with landlords and housing associations to remove installation barriers and ensure people in temporary or supported accommodation can access the best available connectivity. Connectivity should be considered within homelessness and housing pathways.

Preparing residents for network transitions

Changes such as the PSTN switch‑off or 2G retirement may disproportionately affect older and disabled residents or those using telecare. Councils can identify at‑risk groups, coordinate clear local communications, and work with providers to ensure essential devices and services remain safe and functional. The LGA hub provides latest news and guidance on the digital switchover.

Key challenges for councils

A few cross‑cutting issues affect all councils.

• Councils often have limited capacity dedicated to inclusion, making it difficult to coordinate with providers.
• Short‑term or fragmented funding, which limits long‑term planning and service continuity.
• Diffused responsibility across departments, making alignment with broadband or mobile rollout harder.
• Affordability pressures, with many residents unable to take advantage of gigabit or improved mobile access.

When councils join up inclusion and connectivity, residents are better prepared for fibre rollout and mobile upgrades, vulnerable groups receive support through transitions such as the PSTN and 2G/3G switch‑off, providers benefit from stronger community engagement, and investment in networks is more likely to translate into real outcomes.

Digital inclusion ensures residents can benefit from improved broadband and mobile coverage. Urban and rural communities face different challenges, but in both cases, councils need the capacity, funding, and partnerships to align inclusion with connectivity. By joining up mapping, community engagement, and service design, councils can ensure digital upgrades lead to genuine, equitable outcomes for people and places.

You can learn more about local government and digital inclusion on the LGA’s Digital Inclusion Hub.

Councillors play a unique role in shaping public understanding, supporting constructive dialogue, and ensuring local needs are heard by central government, operators, and partners. While officers manage the operational aspects of planning, highways, and estates, councillors bring democratic accountability, community insight, and convening power.

Key messages

Leadership and influence

• Champion a clear local digital strategy and help coordinate work across planning, assets, economic development, and community teams.
• Advocate for responsible and well-designed siting of infrastructure so it serves residents while respecting local need.

Community engagement

• Raise awareness among residents and local organisations about the benefits of reliable digital connectivity.
• Support campaigns that help people build digital skills and navigate changes during legacy network switch-offs.

Enabling investment and deployment

• Encourage collective demand through mechanisms like voucher schemes, grants, or aggregated community requests.
• Review planning policies to unlock faster deployment of masts and full-fibre networks, ensuring impacts on the landscape are carefully managed.
• Consider practical incentives (e.g. business rates relief in rural areas) to help attract provider investment.

Inclusion and social impact

• Promote programmes that strengthen local digital skills pipelines and provide targeted support for vulnerable residents.
• Advocate for cross-organisation integration and prioritisation of digital inclusion.

What councillors need to know

Understanding a few core principles helps councillors navigate discussions confidently:

Fixed and mobile networks work differently

• Masts, fibre, rooftop installations, small cells, and ducts each serve different purposes and are deployed through different processes.

Connectivity is essential local infrastructure

• It underpins everything from public services and economic activity to safety, health, and wellbeing.

Deployment involves disruption

• Streetworks, temporary sites, and mast upgrades can create short-term impacts, and residents often contact councillors with concerns.

Planning and permitting have statutory constraints

• Decisions must follow national policy and legal frameworks; councillors’ influence is strategic rather than case-specific.

Digital inclusion is essential

• Infrastructure improvements alone do not guarantee that all residents can benefit.

Technology transitions are coming

• The retirement of 2G/3G networks and the shift away from analogue landlines will affect vulnerable residents and local services.

Councillors who understand these high-level issues are well placed to support constructive conversations in their wards.

Managing concerns and challenges in communities

Digital infrastructure projects often raise issues such as:

• concerns about mast siting, height or appearance
• disruption caused by repeated digging or roadworks
• fear of new technologies (often fuelled by misinformation)
• frustration when one street receives upgrades and another does not
• uncertainty around providers undertaking work without giving notice to residents.

Working with officers

Connectivity issues can cut across planning, highways, estates, regeneration, housing, ICT, and communications. Councillors can support officers by:

• ensuring adequate officer capacity is considered in discussions about local connectivity ambitions
• recognising the statutory and technical constraints facing teams
• raising concerns in a coordinated way rather than through multiple routes
• supporting cross-council approaches to digital infrastructure and inclusion.

Councillors can also help officers by gathering insight from their wards, including:

• areas with poor mobile coverage
• high levels of resident concern
• barriers to digital access or skills
• opportunities for place-based initiatives.

This information can inform local strategies and provider engagement.

To support their role, councillors may request from officers:

• a clear point of contact for connectivity issues
• regular updates on deployment activity or community concerns
• briefings on national technology transitions (e.g. PSTN, 2G/3G)
• information on digital inclusion needs or available support
• updates on planning or highways capacity relating to connectivity.

These requests help create a shared understanding of local priorities and pressures. Clear communication and visible councillor engagement can significantly reduce tension and misinformation.

Councillors play a central role in the success of digital connectivity programmes. While officers manage planning, highways, and estate processes, councillors provide community leadership, shape local dialogue, and ensure that the benefits of improved connectivity reach residents and businesses. With clear information, effective coordination, and strong relationships across the council and community, councillors can help create the conditions that enable improved connectivity and meaningful digital inclusion.

Digital connectivity is now a core component of local infrastructure, and councils play an essential and often under-recognised role in ensuring that communities benefit from it. Through responsibilities in planning, highways, estates, community engagement, and digital inclusion, local authorities bring together the practical, place-based insight that national programmes and commercial providers rely on. This local leadership is vital for turning national ambitions into real improvements for residents, businesses, and public services.

This guide has shown that successful delivery depends on clear internal roles, predictable processes, and well-coordinated engagement with providers. Councils across the country are already demonstrating how effective governance, thoughtful planning, and proactive communication can accelerate rollout and reduce disruption. Where councils have dedicated capacity, strong cross-departmental collaboration, and constructive relationships with operators, deployment is smoother, more transparent, and better aligned with local priorities. These strengths deserve recognition, especially at a time when many authorities face resource constraints.

Councils do not need deep technical expertise to deliver strong outcomes. What matters most is structured governance, clear expectations, and the ability to convene the right people at the right time. Embedding connectivity within mainstream strategies, from Local Plans to regeneration and economic development, helps ensure that new infrastructure supports wider ambitions for growth, inclusion, and public service improvement. Local authorities are uniquely placed to make these connections and to ensure that investment in networks creates lasting benefits for the communities they serve.

Ultimately, the success of digital connectivity depends as much on the work of local authorities as it does on fibre, masts, or national policy. By coordinating streetworks, enabling access to public assets, supporting residents through technology transitions, and championing digital inclusion, councils help create places where everyone can participate confidently in a digital society. With the right support and clear processes, local government can continue to play a leading role in delivering reliable, inclusive, and future-proof connectivity for all.