More than 50,000 rural Welsh homes and businesses could be eligible to have their broadband upgraded, thanks to a new collaboration between the UK and Welsh governments.
Residents and businesses now have access to more funding for better broadband, as the Welsh Government “tops up” the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
The scheme helps people with funding to cover the upfront costs of installing new gigabit-capable internet connections.
Vouchers worth up to £3,500 for rural SMEs and up to £1,500 for rural residential premises have been available in Wales since May 2019.
But, due to the Welsh topography, it’s proving more expensive for industry to roll out the infrastructure to some of the harder to reach areas of the country. The Welsh Government is now working with the UK Government to provide an additional £3,500 for SMEs and £1,500 for homes.
This means that the maximum funding available through each voucher has doubled and is now £7,000 for SMEs and £3,000 for residential premises.
The news was welcomed by Clwyd West MS Darren Millar who last month called on Welsh Government to prioritise rolling out high speed broadband to those who are currently stranded at home without decent connections.
He said: “I have long been emphasising the urgent need for improved broadband in rural areas.
"As I highlighted to Welsh Ministers last month, due to Covid-19 more people than ever are currently working and studying from home and this is likely to continue for many months to come.
"For most, internet speeds are good and they experience little or no problems, but for those living in rural areas who were let down by the Welsh Government’s Superfast Broadband rollout it can be a nightmare.
“The Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme helps people with funding to cover the upfront costs of installing new gigabit-capable internet connections."
Matt Warman, UK Government Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said: "We are now focusing on future-proofing internet networks with gigabit speeds and, working with the Welsh Government, I am pleased to offer even more vital funding to bring this next-generation connectivity to rural businesses and homes."
Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: "Fast, reliable internet is vital for our communities, as the Covid-19 outbreak has highlighted. Following our Superfast Cymru programme 95 per cent of premises in Wales can access faster broadband, and we need to look at innovative ways to reach the final five per cent.
"We are pleased to provide this top up for the UK Government’s scheme which takes into account the challenges of reaching some premises in rural areas. I would urge communities and businesses to explore the options these vouchers will offer so they can access some of the fastest speeds available."
Gigabit-capable broadband enables internet download speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (mbps). Current superfast speeds are 30 mbps.
For more information and to check eligibility visit: https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/
