Westminster has released the details of its Nationwide Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS), which will provide up to £3,000 for SMEs and £500 for individuals to set up gigabit connections. The funding was unveiled this morning by Chancellor Philip Hammond.
Currently just 3% of UK premises have access to full fibre connections, which are capable of supporting speeds of up to a petabit (one quadrillion bits of data).
The scheme is part of a wider government plan to get more homes and businesses connected to full fibre broadband. It builds on the £200 million Local Full Fibre Networks programme – which gives funding to local areas to boost full fibre delivery.
In a release issued this morning, DCMS Secretary of State, Matt Hancock said: “Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy and now they can turbo-charge their connectivity with gigabit speeds.”
Terms and Conditions…
Businesses and residents can get vouchers from suppliers who are registered with the scheme. (A list can be found here).
Vouchers may only be used to support the cost of eligible connections. Suppliers can offer vouchers to both new and existing customers.
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The only way residents can benefit from the voucher scheme is as part of a local community group scheme, which must also include small businesses.
Residents and businesses taking part in a group scheme are able to join together to pool the value of their vouchers. Within this group the total value of vouchers used by businesses must always be greater than the value of vouchers taken by residents.
Businesses and local community groups interested in requesting a voucher can find full details on the GBVS website; which also includes instructions on how to register for new suppliers, and the full details and terms and conditions of the scheme.
