SMEs, charities and social enterprises will be given vouchers worth up to £3000 to cover the installation costs of a leased line to their workplace. The scheme aims to encourage more businesses to take up leased lines and benefit from superfast broadband.
In order to boost the potential success of the scheme, ICUK has worked extensively to bring together as much information as possible about the cities which are eligible for the vouchers. The ICUK website is a goldmine of information to show whether your business could receive a voucher and full guides of how to apply in each city.
ICUK Director Paul Barnett said: “This is a great scheme to encourage SMEs, Charities and Social Enterprises to take up a leased line without the upfront costs, making superfast broadband far more accessible.
“It’s encouraging to see that the government is valuing superfast broadband enough to invest so highly in this way.”
Leased lines can help businesses overcome problems associated with standard ADSL, such as slow connections during peak time and poor upload speeds.
The Connection Voucher Scheme runs until March 2015 and is backed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Vouchers cover the cost of installation and any excess charges which may be incurred only, and not the VAT or the ongoing monthly cost.