Earlier this year as part of their commitment to a full fibre Britain, the government introduced plans for a £67m Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
Ensuring the most reliable and fastest speeds available, eligible SMEs under the scheme can now obtain up to £2,500 towards the install and equipment costs of a gigabit-capable broadband connection.
The benefits of gigabit technology are many. Businesses can share, upload, store, access and download vast amounts of significant data. Employees can carry out high-capacity tasks instantly and simultaneously, regardless of how many employees a business has, and for remote businesses who have been stunted by a lack of supporting infrastructure, gigabit connectivity allows them to compete on a level playing field with their city-based counterparts.
There’s no denying the concept that full-fibre connectivity achieved via gigabit technology will improve productivity and afford significant competitive advantage for businesses.
As a nation ready to embrace a more digital way of working, companies are increasingly aware of the need for reliable and robust connectivity. Outage or downtime is costly and inefficient.
Industry type does not limit the voucher scheme. All sector businesses can benefit from the scheme which provides the ideal opportunity to move from frustratingly slow speeds to an intense, fast connection without initial expenditure. For smaller businesses, joining together with other businesses and residential customers can boost the voucher value to further subsidise the cost of installing a connection.
Sound good? Then lets look at whether your business is eligible for the voucher scheme:
- The scheme is available for small to medium-sized businesses.
- An SME is defined as one that employs fewer than 250 people and has an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million. This includes sole traders.
- You must not have received more than the permitted amount of de minimis aid in the last three years.
- You must not have an existing connection already capable of 1Gbps.
As a registered supplier of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, M247 can help to future-proof gigabit connectivity to your businesses wherever you are in the UK.
To find out if you are eligible for the voucher scheme contact our team on Gigabitvoucher@m247.com
