Broadband boost for rural areas with cash injection

Rural areas with slow internet speeds are in line for ultrafast broadband due to a £22.2m government funding boost.

The government's Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme subsidises the cost of building gigabit-capable broadband networks in remote areas.

Improving the nation's connectivity speeds was a key election pledge from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Gigabit broadband would make it possible to download an HD movie in less than 30 seconds.

Mr Johnson said he wanted to bring gigabit-speed broadband to the whole of the UK in the next five years.

The extra funding comes after reliable broadband became even more vital for many homes during the coronavirus pandemic, enabling people to work form home and stay connected with loved ones.

According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), some 250,000 English homes and businesses are expected to be eligible from 17 English councils.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman is urging businesses and communities to apply for the vouchers.

They are worth up to £1,500 for rural homes and up to £3,500 for small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas.

Councils adding extra funding include the Borderlands, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, County Durham, Derbyshire, Dorset, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Sussex and Worcestershire.

Kent County Council also agreed to top up the scheme for a second time, after providing additional funding in September 2019.