Additional funding of £700,000 from Essex County Council has been secured to bring super-fast and more reliable broadband internet connections to the county’s hardest-to-reach addresses.
Government Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) vouchers are currently available in Essex for groups of two or more residents or businesses, to subsidize the costs of introducing gigabit broadband to currently low-speed areas.
The additional funding from Essex County Council will ‘top up’ these vouchers, so more money will be available to improve digital connectivity and boost the regional economy.
Combined with GBVS funding, eligible residents will receive up to £8,500 for a gigabit-enabled connection, while businesses can receive up to £15,000.
Cllr Lesley Wagland OBE, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: ‘This additional funding will allow us to bring better connectivity to residents, businesses and communities who are still unable to access decent broadband speeds.
“This intervention is significant because currently 1% of our Essex residents and businesses are still unable to access superfast broadband speeds.
We want to ensure that every individual and business has the opportunity to benefit from digital technologies, and improving connectivity is the first step to achieving this goal.
Residents and businesses can visit the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website here.
