The UK Government’s extension of the Connection Vouchers scheme means many more South East businesses can cheaply deploy high-speed fibre broadband to help them expand.
This blog was originally published to the website of CNC, who are now the Brighton branch of FluidOne.
From 1 April 2015, the scheme is being expanded from 22 cities to 50, making up to £3,000 in subsidy available to many more UK businesses — including those on the South Coast looking to expand and grow in Brighton, Southampton and Portsmouth.
Gary Jowett from the Sussex-based IT services company, CNC, explained: “The scheme makes it much cheaper to connect to business-grade fibre broadband using a leased line which can provide up to 100Mbps connection in both directions. By contrast, the advertised top speeds for residential broadband are only what you get downstream." He added, "A leased line also offers a stable connection with its own IP address so that your online relationship with customers, partners and suppliers is highly robust and secure.”
The installation subsidy is particularly enticing to small companies who desperately want to expand but are deterred by what they regard to be expensive. While the installation cost might be spread over monthly payments, it is still too high for many smaller businesses.
Now small companies eligible for the voucher scheme need only worry about the rental charge for the leased line which significantly reduces the monthly outlay.
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on online transactions and other interactions, this subsidy is helping many more businesses grow with lower monthly overheads.
For example, recruitment companies in the South East need a sturdy broadband connection for job seekers to register and gain access to job descriptions and to help prospective employers post new job roles. Growing construction companies also need more secure bandwidth to receive architectural drawings and other complex documents electronically.
Small businesses that aim to take advantage of the Connection Vouchers scheme should seek advice from their IT services provider about the most appropriate broadband speeds for their business.
A good IT consultant will have experience of similar businesses and will be able to share valuable knowledge to help your company make the best use of the voucher scheme.