Cheshire
Rural homes and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cheshire can benefit from the fastest and most reliable broadband connectivity by applying for funding to support the cost of accessing a gigabit-capable service as part of a group project.
Connecting Cheshire, consisting of Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Borough Council and Halton Borough Council, is investing £2.9million to ‘top up’ the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. The Connecting Cheshire partnership will pay up to an additional £2,500 per home and £3,500 per small to medium-sized business in order to help connect harder-to-reach groups of rural premises. To be eligible for the Cheshire Top-Up, premises must be in a rural area, unable to access speeds of 30Mbps, and not in any plans to receive access to gigabit broadband in the next three years.
| Premises | UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme | Cheshire top-up available | Total funding available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Up to £1,500 | Up to £2,500 | Up to £4,000 |
| SMEs | Up to £3,500 | Up to £3,500 | Up to £7,000 |
Group projects are when two or more homes or businesses get together to combine their vouchers towards the cost of upgrading the network to access gigabit broadband.
No separate application is required as eligible premises will receive funding from the Cheshire Top Up to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme when benefiting from a Gigabit Broadband Voucher through a registered supplier.
For information about the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme in Cheshire go to the Connecting Cheshire website.