Tomos Dafydd Davies has welcomed the announcement that 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.
From today, businesses will be able access the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which the Welsh Government will “top-up”.
The scheme helps people with funding to cover the upfront costs of installing new gigabit-capable internet connections.
Vouchers worth up to £7,000 for SMEs and £3,000 for rural residential premises subsidise the cost of building out next-generation broadband infrastructure - such as fibre-optic cables - to rural villages and towns, so they don’t miss out on much faster speeds. They also incentivise other broadband companies to build in these areas.
Matt Warman, UK Government Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said:
Our £1.8 billion superfast broadband programme transformed Wales’ digital landscape, allowing many people to work remotely during lockdown.
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 suffering with slow speeds.
I encourage all those who qualify to apply to feel the benefits of much faster internet connections.”
Tomos Dafydd Davies said:
This announcement is good news for small businesses, and for rural Wales in particular. Good connectivity is vital to many working and running a business from home during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The extension of this scheme will ensure Welsh businesses have access to reliable broadband speeds – a big step forwards in our plans to build a broadband network fit for the 21st century.”
