Technology

Posted on April 9, 2018 by staff

Small businesses boosted by Government Gigabit scheme

Technology

The Government has launched a UK-wide scheme to help small and medium-sized businesses upgrade their broadband.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme will enable small businesses and the local communities around them to receive grants of up to £3,000 to upgrade their broadband to a Gigabit-capable connection.

The scheme, part of the £200m Local Full Fibre Networks programme, is designed to help firms embrace bandwidth-hungry technologies such as cloud-based solutions, VoIP and other hosted services.

Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 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.”

Daisy Group, the UK’s largest independent supplier of business communications and IT solutions, has been named as a registered supplier of the scheme.

Julien Parven, marketing director of ‎its SMB division, said: “We are delighted to be a named supplier of the government’s new Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.

“Digital transformation should be a top priority for SMBs and we are passionate about helping companies to get started on that path so that they can maximise the opportunities around them.

“This scheme to provide customers with greater bandwidth certainly promotes that priority in providing the backbone to launch their digital futures.”

The Gigabit Voucher Scheme is available across the UK following a market trial which was launched in late 2017.

SMBs eligible for the GBVS must employ fewer than 250 employees, have a turnover of less than €50m and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43m. This includes sole traders.