Have you claimed your £2,500 voucher for better broadband yet?
If not, it’s time to act fast, or you could miss your chance. According to recent reports, the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme offered by the UK government has already helped over 7000 businesses to boost their broadband connections as part of the Local Full Fibre Networks programme.
Initially, the £67 million scheme launched in 2017 was intended to run until March 2021. However, the high demand for vouchers across the UK means that funds are expected to run dry much earlier, in 2020 or sooner. To date, demand has been highest in the South West (1,613 vouchers issued), followed by the South East (927) and Yorkshire (871) regions.
Connectivity is Crucial in the UK
When it launched in 2017, the Broadband Voucher scheme was designed to support companies around the UK in need of additional support to access gigabit-level broadband. According to the Minister for Digital, Margot James, the importance of connectivity in the UK is clear as the government continues to strive towards a “full fibre Britain.” The Broadband vouchers offer instant help to firms struggling to contend with slow broadband.
Though the voucher value started at £3,000, it’s being reduced to £2,500 going forward to help make sure that as many homes and businesses benefit as possible. Experts also predict that this move will convince some local companies to “pool” their resources for fibre. The government believes that £2,500 will be enough to cover the connection costs for most UK SME’s, but up to 10 residents can participate in the scheme for just one SME.
Creating a Full Fibre Britain
Currently, the UK has 95% coverage for superfast broadband, with speeds ranging at around 24 megabits per second or above. However, many of these connections still rely on copper wires, which are limited in the speeds that they can deliver. Full fibre is the only way to provide true gigabit speeds.
The Broadband Voucher scheme is part of several government initiatives that have been revealed so far to support a Britain that has complete fibre broadband coverage by the time we reach 2033. The UK government hopes to ensure that no communities are left behind, and the Chancellor recently announced a further £200 investment into broadband alongside the voucher scheme. This new investment will help to deliver full fibre broadband to some of the hardest-to-reach rural locations throughout the Country, including Cornwall, the Borderlands, and Welsh valleys.
According to Mike Cherry, the FBS National Chairman, access to reliable broadband has become an essential component in running a successful small business in the UK. However, the clock is ticking on this scheme, which means that companies need to jump into action if they don’t want to miss out on funding. You can find out more about claiming your voucher at the Gigabit Voucher website here.
