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BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS IN THE NEWRY, MOURNE & DOWN AREA CAN MAKE USE OF THE GIGABIT VOUCHER SCHEME!
If you run a small or medium-sized organisation and would benefit from having a faster broadband connection to meet tomorrow’s business needs, then the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) can help you. Residents can benefit too – up to ten residents will be able to participate for every eligible business. See below for more information.
IMPORTANT: Newry, Mourne and Down District Council does not manage this funding. You must follow the steps and liaise with a supplier directly. Vouchers are issued to the supplier only to offset the cost of installation to your premises.
Full fibre broadband connections offer the fastest and most reliable speeds available, and the government is committed to a vision of a full fibre Britain. As part of this commitment in March 2018 the government announced a £67m Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
Gigabit vouchers can be used by small businesses and the local communities surrounding them to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit-capable connection. Businesses can claim up to £2,500 against the cost of connection either individually or as part of a group project. Residents can benefit from the scheme as part of a group project which also includes businesses, and can claim for a voucher of up to a value of £500.
The £67 million scheme was initially expected to run until March 2021, but high demand for vouchers means that funds are now expected to be committed a year earlier, and perhaps even sooner if the current success of the scheme continues to grow.
One gigabit is the same as 1,000 megabits – so it’s a big leap forward in connection speeds that could benefit you and your business into the future.
How do you apply?
The scheme is only accessible through broadband service providers, so if you are interested in receiving a voucher:
- Check whether there are suppliers in your area in the postcode search on the website.
- Check whether you are eligible for a voucher by reading the website.
IMPORTANT: Newry, Mourne and Down District Council does not manage this funding. You must follow the steps and liaise with a supplier directly. Vouchers are issued to the supplier only to offset the cost of installation to your premises.
For full details about whether you are eligible for a voucher and to connect you to a full fibre broadband supplier, go to https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/
Important Notes:
- The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is part of the Local Full Fibre Networks programme, which has the strategic objective of increasing full fibre coverage across the UK.
- Starting in late 2017, the programme launched the first wave of its programme, designed to test its approach to market stimulation. £10m was allocated to the launch of five pilot projects across the country, including £2m on a market test for the voucher scheme. The national launch of the scheme has been designed to build on the lessons learned from our market test.
- Gigabit vouchers can be used by small businesses and the local communities surrounding them. Businesses can claim up to £2,500 against the cost of connection either individually or as part of a group project. Residents can benefit from the scheme with a voucher worth £500 as part of a group project.
- * DCMS anticipate that £2,500 will be sufficient to cover the individual connection costs for the majority of UK SMEs. Where this is insufficient, SMEs can pool their vouchers together with other SMEs or with residents to share costs. DCMS have made it easier for more residents to participate in these projects (now up to 10 residents can participate for every one SME).
- The UK now has 95% coverage for superfast broadband with speeds of 24 megabits per second or higher. However, most superfast connections still depend on copper telephone wires, which are limited in the speeds they can support. For the fastest and most reliable broadband, capable of delivering gigabit speeds, a full fibre connection is required.
- One gigabit is the same as 1,000 megabits – so it’s a big leap forward in connection speeds that could benefit you and your business into the future. Full fibre also supports symmetrical connections – meaning your upload and download speeds can be the same.
To get started you must contact one of the eligible suppliers:
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