INTRACOM TELECOM

Digitally Connecting Britain

Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme & Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme

Digital infrastructure is central to the future of the UK economy. The country's ambition is to become a world leader in digital connectivity, by increasing its competitiveness, boosting its productivity and meeting future demands of consumers and businesses. In this framework the Government has adopted two fixed broadband infrastructure projects that provide advanced digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable and widely available across the UK:

The Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) Programme aims to assist Building Digital UK (BDUK) (part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)) and partner organizations, in delivering more gigabit-capable connections in locations that are unlikely to benefit from commercial investment by 2033. This is based on the Government's 2018 Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, which aims to see 15 million premises connected to full fibre by 2025, with coverage across all parts of the country by 2033 and the majority of the population will have 5G coverage by 2027.

Through this Programme 20% of UK's homes and businesses that would otherwise be unlikely to receive commercial access to gigabit capable broadband will now be able to. RGC is testing a Hub model approach, which is identifying eligible public sector buildings that meet qualifying criteria set by BDUK, and will run until the end of March 2021.

In order now to support the rural variant of the RGC Programme BDUK have adapted the successful Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to increase gigabit-capable connectivity in rural areas.

Through this scheme, the Government provides £67 million of funding that will be allocated to vouchers which will help households, SMEs & local communities to cover the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband. The scheme is divided in two phases:

the first wave was used by small businesses and the local communities around them in order to get faster connections with gigabit-capable infrastructure, and
the second wave was launched in May 2019 and addresses rural areas, as part of the £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) Programme.

The gigabit-capable infrastructure will be able to support broadband speeds of up to 1000 Mbps.

Eligibility:

For RGC:

The criteria will take into account a number of factors, including:

Rurality
Speed threshold (below 100 Mbps)
Funding considerations
State aid compliance
Existing interventions (commercial or otherwise)
Value for money
Deliverability within timescales of the Programme

For GBV:

Residents & Businesses:

Applicants with broadband speeds below 100 Mbps when part of a group project.
- Groups projects are when two or more residents and/or SMEs get together
- Single connections are not eligible for additional funding
Applicants must be in a rural area. By clicking here, you can enter your postcode and check if you are eligible.
Premises already receiving (or will receive) State aid funding gigabit-capable connectivity (commercially or otherwise) are not eligible

Only Businesses:

Be an SME or sole trader and not a subsidiary of a larger company
No more than 249 employees
An annual turnover less than €50 million
A balance sheet below €43 million
Less than €200 thousand in public grants in the last 3 years, the de minimis limit