UK government scraps business rates for fibre broadband

The UK government has announced plans to scrap business rates for operators who install new fibre on their networks, with the introduction of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.

The government said the bill will incentivise operators to invest in the broadband network and claimed it will pave the way for a “gold standard of full-fibre broadband and future 5G communications”.

“Regardless of where you live or work, we want everyone to benefit from access to the fast, affordable and reliable broadband they need to thrive,” said minister for local government, Marcus Jones.

“From making it easier to work from home to allowing digital businesses to flourish, our measures are creating the right conditions for more high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future.”

The government has already pledged £400 million through its Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, which claims will unlock over £1 billion for full fibre broadband and offer better broadband connections across the country.