The Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme

For the past 18 months, Wessex Internet have been laying hundreds of kilometres of fibre optic cable across the Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire (and even Kent!) countryside off the back of a scheme from the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – the Gigabit Voucher scheme. Many of you will have already benefited from this scheme and now have ultrafast 1000Mbps-capable fibre optic broadband in your home or business.

Following on from the success of the Gigabit Voucher Scheme, the DCMS have announced a second programme designed to help fund Full Fibre installations for those of you in the most rural of areas and deliver better broadband to your home or business – the Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme (RGC). This scheme is more focused on residential properties and £200 million has been allocated to fund rural FTTP infrastructure.

Do I qualify for a RGC voucher?

The RGC programme is aimed at properties that have broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps – this means that if you’re in a community which suffers from a slow internet connection, the programme could be a good fit for you. The big difference from the previous scheme is that vouchers can be claimed against a group of purely residential applications, unlike the Gigabit Voucher scheme which was heavily reliant on business applicants to get the go ahead.

The RGC voucher provides up to £3,500 for business and £1,500 for residential applications. VAT is included for all residential vouchers, meaning NO upfront costs. For business, VAT isn’t included but can be claimed back if your business is VAT registered.

What’s my next step then?

We understand it can be confusing: the Gigabit Voucher scheme is still running, the RGC scheme has just launched and there are different criteria for eligibility for each scheme. Rather than applying for one or the other, just visit our “I Want Full Fibre” page, fill out the relevant form (residential or business) to register your interest in ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband and we’ll let you know the best option for your property.

Join the Full Fibre revolution today and push your property’s internet connection into the 21st century!