To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment which areas of East Londonderry do not have adequate and reliable mobile phone coverage; and what measures her Department is taking to address this issue.

My Department does not gather information on mobile coverage. Such data is collected by the telecommunications regulator, Ofcom and is published on an annual basis in its Infrastructure Reports. The latest report, published in December 2014, can be found at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/infrastructure/2014/infrastructure-14.pdf. In addition, an interactive map, which allows users to assess the coverage and performance of the infrastructure in their area, can be found at http://infrastructure.ofcom.org.uk.

The telecommunications market is fully privatised and independently regulated, with investment decisions taken on the basis of commercial return. In recent years the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have been investing significantly to improve their 2G and 3G networks and Northern Ireland has seen some marked improvements, particularly with regard to 3G coverage, which is now on a par with the rest of the UK at 99% from at least one operator.

To address areas where the market is not currently investing, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently implementing the Mobile Infrastructure project which is focused on 2G technology. However, it is understood that operators will future proof the infrastructure being deployed, in order to further support 3G, 4G and beyond, where possible. Northern Ireland is in line for around 70 nominal, new mast sites under this project.

In addition, in December 2014, the UK Government announced that it had struck a deal with the MNOs which will see the mobile industry investing £5 billion in UK infrastructure and increasing coverage by 2017.

My Department maintains a watching brief on these initiatives and will assess the need for further Government intervention once they are complete.