Member of Parliament for Delyn, Rob Roberts is encouraging constituents without decent broadband to review their options following an announcement yesterday that more than 50,000 rural Welsh homes and businesses could be eligible to have their broadband upgraded.
Thanks to a new collaboration between UK and Welsh Governments, residents and businesses can now access more funding for better broadband, as the Welsh Government “tops up” the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
Delyn’s MP has been contacted by many residents complaining about their poor broadband service, which has only been exacerbated by the recent lockdown measures and he therefore welcomes today’s announcement.
Commenting on the scheme, Rob said:
“In modern day Wales, having a good broadband connection is vital for all aspects of life. During COVID-19 more people than ever have been online, working or studying from home and this is likely to continue for some time. Most people have good internet speeds and many have no problems, but for those living and working in more rural areas this is just not the case and they are at a disadvantage.
“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 extension of this scheme will ensure more people have access to reliable broadband speeds and I urge all those in Delyn without decent broadband to check to see if they are eligible for these vouchers.”
For more information and to check eligibility visit: https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/