Homes and businesses in some of the most remote areas of the UK are to be offered a subsidised satellite broadband connection if they are currently unable to obtain an affordable broadband service of at least 2 Mbps, in what the government calls an 'early Christmas present.'
The scheme being rolled out throughout December 2015 forms part of the Government’s commitment to make sure every home and business in the UK can access speeds of at least 2 Mbps by the end of 2015. An estimated 300,000 properties across the UK will be able to make use of the new offer.
The current rollout of superfast broadband is on track to deliver coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017 but Government was determined to help those with the slowest connections by providing an immediate boost to their available speeds ahead of any future improvements planned.
"Our rollout of superfast broadband has already reached an additional 3.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out," said Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey.
"We are making tremendous progress, but it’s a massive engineering project and won’t happen overnight. This scheme offers immediate assistance to those homes and businesses in the most remote areas with the slowest speeds and is all part of our transformation of the UK’s digital landscape."
Users will be responsible for paying any remaining cost of installation and commissioning (if any), choosing the features of the satellite broadband service they require, and for paying the monthly subscription for the service they selected (for a minimum period of 12 months).
This announcement comes as the government said it planned to introduce a Universal Service Obligation, pledging by 2020 to give everyone the right to request a connection at a minimum speed of 10Mbps.
"We welcome the satellite voucher scheme, we have been making the case for this initiative," said CLA Senior Rural Business Adviser Charles Trotman.
"It will help rural businesses and communities in the areas not covered by the broadband roll out programme, many of which are still waiting to receive even basic broadband. We will work with Government to ensure that the rural areas most in need of this technology are able benefit from the initiative.
"This satellite scheme should go some way to helping close the urban-rural digital divide and unlock the potential of the countryside. However it is a short-term measure and Government must remain focused on its commitment to delivering the Universal Service Obligation of 10Mbps.”
