UK pledges £67 million to Gigabit broadband voucher scheme

The UK government has pledged to invest £67 million (€76 million) in a voucher scheme that will help small and medium sized businesses and residents with the costs of connecting to full fibre broadband.

Philip Hammond

Announced by chancellor Philip Hammond, the Nationwide Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) will provide vouchers worth £3,000 to small businesses or £500 to residents.

The project builds on the government’s £200 million Local Full Fibre Networks programme, which was set up to give funding to local areas in order to boost full fibre delivery.

It also forms part of the government’s commitment to make full fibre broadband available to at least 10 million homes and businesses by 2022.

Hammond said the £67m investment will mean “faster, more reliable broadband access as we build the digital infrastructure we need to make our economy fit for the future”.

Secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, Matt Hancock, said: “Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy and now they can turbo-charge their connectivity with gigabit speeds.”

“By building a full fibre future for Britain we are laying the foundations for a digital infrastructure capable of delivering today what the next generation will need tomorrow.”