More funding for better broadband

RESIDENTS and businesses in rural areas of Carmarthenshire will have access to more funding for better broadband.

Welsh Government recently announced it has topped up the value of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to those with less than 30Mbps.

The vouchers have doubled in value and those eligible can now claim £7k for a small to medium sized business and £3,000 for residential premises.

Ca rma r t h e n s h i r e Council are supporting group projects across the county to access the vouchers so they have better digital connectivity.

The scheme helps people living in rural areas with funding to cover the upfront costs of installing new gigabit-capable internet connections.

Vouchers subsidise the cost of building next-generation broadband infrastructure - such as fibreoptic cables - to rural villages and towns, so they don’t miss out on much faster speeds.

They also incentivise other broadband companies to build in these areas.

To qualify for vouchers, you must reside in a rural area with broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps. You would also need to be part of a group project of two or more residents or businesses. Vouchers would then be combined to pay towards the cost of connections.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is supplier-led.

The value of the voucher will contribute to the build cost of installing a gigabit-capable connection at the customer’s premises.

For more information contact Ceri Jenkins, CeJenkins@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Further information on the voucher scheme and how it works, visit https:// gigabitvoucher. culture. gov.uk/wales/