The Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme is the latest Government initiative to help homes and businesses in rural areas install a gigabit-capable* full fibre connection when part of a group scheme. This means two or more residents and/or businesses get together to combine vouchers towards the shared cost of installation. The demand-led scheme was launched in May 2019 as part of the £200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme. It is expected to remain open for new applications until 31 March 2021 (or until the funding runs out).
Rural premises with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps can use vouchers worth up to £3,500 for each small and medium-sized business (SME), and up to £1,500 per residential premise to support the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections that more than double their broadband speeds.
Government guidance for community groups can be found on the government guidance page.
Find out more about the Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme.
Check if you are eligible using the Gigabit Voucher postcode search. If you meet the rurality criteria for a Rural Gigabit Voucher this will list active suppliers in your area.
*Gigabit-capable means that the connection can handle speeds of 1,000 Megabits per second but users only sign up to speeds they can afford. As demand increases, users can choose the option to pay for more speed as required.