Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme available to Shropshire businesses

Eligible businesses and charitable organisations in Shropshire can now apply for a Connection Voucher worth up to £3,000 towards the cost of upgrading to superfast broadband.  

The Connection Voucher Scheme is administered by Digital Birmingham, which has over 12 months’ experience of delivering the voucher scheme prior to its extension into Shropshire. 

Connection Vouchers will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis until 31 March 2016. The vouchers are available to any eligible organisation, and can cover both fixed broadband solutions (usually a fibre connection), or wireless solutions such as satellite or microwave broadband, where fibre is not available. 

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for broadband, said:

“Shropshire has a high percentage of small enterprises and businesses run from home, and it is important that these should be able to compete against larger businesses in an increasingly global economy. This is a complementary project that supports our own infrastructure programme and will provide financial help to those businesses that need access to superfast broadband immediately.” 

Whilst there are over 400 suppliers registered with the Scheme, not all will be delivering services in Shropshire. It is important for businesses to find the right package for them by speaking to a few broadband infrastructure providers. Shropshire has a number of local registered suppliers including Secure Web Services (SWS), which is already making use of the scheme. 

Chris New, Technical Director of SWS commented:

” Secure Web Services Wireless Broadband Network has been providing broadband connections, delivered over low-powered, line-of-sight radios, to business and residential customers in south Shropshire since 2005 – our steadily expanding network of masts and relays currently encompasses south of Shrewsbury to Newcastle upon Clun, and from the Wenlock Edge in the east to the Long Mountain in the west.”

We are working closely with potential voucher applicants to provide not only the best solution for the applicant, but one which will provide the opportunity for businesses and residential customers who aren’t eligible for a voucher to access one of our standard connections.

Follow this link to read a case study from a business that has already benefited from the scheme.

For any business that would like to find out more about the Connection Voucher Scheme, further information can be found at http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/connection-voucher-scheme/, including details of:

• How the scheme works and what costs can be covered
• Eligibility criteria
• How to apply.
• Pooling vouchers to improve connectivity for a community or business park
• Suppliers that can provide connectivity
• Contact details for Digital Birmingham: voucherapply@birmingham.gov.uk.

Shropshire Council, together with INCA (Independent Networks Co-operative Association), is hosting a free workshop on Wednesday 15 July which is a great opportunity to find out how to get financial support for better broadband. You will find out how the Connection Voucher Scheme can help your businesses improve, and how the vouchers can be aggregated to form a group scheme. To book please follow this link. 

Further information 

For more information, please contact Adam Spreckley at the Shropshire Council press office on 01743 252826 or email adam.spreckley@ipande.co.uk.

(All Shropshire Council news stories can be read at http://shropshire.gov.uk/news/)

About Connecting Shropshire

The Connecting Shropshire programme is bringing fibre-based broadband to areas where it isn’t economically viable for commercial companies to provide do so.  It’s a partnership between Shropshire Council, BT and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) that will enable more than 62,000 homes and businesses in Shropshire (excluding Telford and Wrekin) to access faster broadband by the end of 2016.

Connecting Shropshire programme website: http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/

Superfast Britain is a Government programme of investment in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race.  The portfolio is comprised of three elements:  

• £780m to extend superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017
• £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities
• £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and basic data network services

Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life. For further information, see: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk.