Broadband Voucher Scheme

Is the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme still available?  The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is part of the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) and so is the Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme. Both are run by the DCMS.

By February 2020, the LFFN part of the scheme which had been used to fund connections wherever they were, the main stipulation being that there wasn’t an existing gigabit capable connection, had committed £58m of the £67.8m fund.  Additionally, it had a pipeline of projects that meant the fund was fully committed. 

The RGC programme, however, had committed only £10.1m of vouchers by Feb 20. Vouchers are one element of the RGC programme and as of April 20 this source of funding is still very much available.  DCMS’s emphasis has changed from its earlier focus on broadband anywhere to connecting hard to reach rural properties.  Projects in qualifying rural postcodes need to be pre-registered with the scheme by your provider and there needs to be at least two properties in each scheme.  In summary, for qualifying rural postcodes the voucher scheme is very much still available offering up to £3500 excluding vat for businesses and £1500, including vat for residential connections.

How to apply for your Gigabit Broadband Voucher

• Check your business eligibility following our steps below.
• Contact us to discuss the best gigabit broadband options for you or look at our internet page.
• Choose a broadband or leased line package  and we will apply to DCMS (the government Department of Culture Media and Sport who operate the scheme) for your connection voucher.
• Once we’ve submitted your voucher request your local council will review and approve your voucher.
• As soon as your voucher has been approved we will begin work to deliver your gigabit broadband / leased line internet connection. We’ll manage the process all the way and keep the voucher process going.  Installation can take as little as 14 days.
• As soon as your connection is ready we’ll notify DCMS. You will get an email to confirm that it is live. Once you’ve clicked the link in the email, that’s it.  We can then claim the voucher and you can enjoy your new ultrafast broadband connection.

Gigabit-capable broadband and your business

Gigabit-capable broadband has the power to transform the way you work. Unlimited, ultrafast download speeds and high or synchronous upload speeds increase the productivity of your team and help to facilitate seamless communications.  Broadband is very much the fourth utility, and slow connectivity not only hinders your workflow but can cost you money. With business become increasingly reliant on cloud services, video calling and transferring large files, if you have to think about the speed and reliability of your internet connection, it’s not working for you.

Our gigabit-capable business internet connections are available either as standard broadband or leased lines. We provide provide businesses and residential premises with a high speed connection capable of transforming their communications wherever they are. Local support and active monitoring make our connection something you can forget about once installed and get on with what’s important to you.

Do you qualify for a £3,500 installation voucher?

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is designed for small and medium-sized business, and there are a few rules as to who qualifies.  The full terms and conditions can be found on the DCMS website, but the key points to qualify are:

• Your businesses balance sheet must be less than £43 million and/or your turnover must be under £50 million.
• You employ less than 249 people.
• There isn't a gigabit capable internet connection at your premises already. For example, if you currently have a leased line, unfortunately, you wouldn’t qualify.

Don’t worry if you don’t qualify, depending on your location we may have other ways of installing your ultrafast or gigabit capable leased line or internet connection free of charge.  Have a look at our frequently asked question section or Call our experts on 01483 892 048 to talk through the options.

Things to look out for

• It’s important that you check our eligibility steps to make sure you qualify. Not all business do.
• You still need to pay the VAT on the connection charge, but you can claim this back so long as your business is VAT registered.
• It will be necessary to keep your new gigabit capable internet connection for at least 12 months after it’s installed.
• The internet connection you order must be for at least 100Mbps or double the speed you are currently getting,whichever is the bigger number.

Rural Gigabit Vouchers

Rural Gigabit vouchers were introduced in May 2019 as part of the Gigabit Voucher Scheme. The key characteristics of Rural Gigabit vouchers are:

● Up to £3,500 for eligible SMEs.
● Up to £1,500 for residents.
● Available in defined “rural” areas (by postcode in all parts of the UK), with existing speeds of <30 Mb/s
● Resident only projects are eligible
● Connections must be Gigabit capable, with a minimum speed taken by the customer of 30 Mb/s

This development dramatically improves the economics for those in rural areas. There is a postcode checker within the Gigabit vouchers
website although, strangely, access to it is limited to registered providers.  As a registered provider we can check this for you.

Voucher scheme FAQs

Some of the questions we're frequently asked about the government's gigabit voucher scheme are listed below. If you have any questions that aren't there please call us on 01483 892 048 and we will be happy to help.