What is the Gigabit Voucher Scheme?

The government Gigabit Voucher Scheme IS NOW CLOSED

For further details on leased line deals get in touch with our experienced team online today.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, overseen by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is a scheme that offered small and medium-sized business up to £2,500 in vouchers if they upgraded their broadband speeds to the (then) cutting-edge 30Mbps.

Running for two years (2013-2015), the scheme was a huge success, helping to improve connectivity in 50 cities nationwide. Following the initial success of those two years, the scheme was then updated to account for current technologies and rolled out across the UK in April 2018.

With the goal of improving the broadband speeds throughout the country, the £200 million scheme offers grants and funding for businesses who improve their data speeds. Improved data speeds aren’t just a good idea for the vouchers, they can increase productivity, reduce downtime and lead to happier employees and customers.

So, who can claim the £2,500 vouchers and why should you make the investment of improved connections?

Am I eligible for the Government Gigabit Voucher Scheme?

To be eligible for the scheme, and up to £2,500 in grants and funding, SMEs need to meet several qualifying criteria.

Qualifying criteria for the business include:

• Businesses who are eligible for the scheme must employ fewer than 249 employees.
• Businesses must have an annual turnover of less than €50 million
• Within the last three years of contracting the package, the business must have received under €200k worth of public grants.

Qualifying criteria of the connection include:

• Connections must be gigabit-capable
• Connections must not have been previously gigabit-capable prior to upgrade and the business must not have other gigabit-capable connections
• Delivery speeds must be (at least) 100Mbps
• Delivery speed must be (at least) double what the previous speed was prior to upgrade.
• Contracts must be at least 12 months long
• At least 6 months of the contract must be paid for

Eligible business who meet the connection criteria will be able to claim for between £500-£3000 towards the cost of the connection. Please note that ongoing delivery costs aren’t covered under the scheme.

Benefits of Gigabit Internet

The benefits of having the latest, cutting-edge connections continue to grow as new technologies emerge and old technologies are updated for the modern world. With cloud storage, VoIP, networking systems, hosting all taking over the global IT systems market, a reliable, high-speed internet connection is crucial to the ongoing success of businesses throughout the UK.

It may seem like an expensive endeavour, but with the Gigabit Voucher Scheme in place, as well as the opportunity to save up to 40% on costs with a leased line – we can help to modernise your business for a lower cost than you’d think.

With the countless benefits to business and a variety of high-speed fibre ethernet solutions and deals on offer, the experts at Leased Line are here to help.

The government Gigabit Voucher Scheme IS NOW CLOSED

For further details on leased line deals get in touch with our experienced team online today.