Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond MP, announced the investment of £67 million in faster broadband.
Vouchers worth up to £3000 and £500 will be provided to small or medium sized business and residents, respectively, by the Nationwide Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to help cover the costs of connecting to full fibre broadband. This comes as part of the Government's commitment to making full fibre broadband available to at least 10 million homes and businesses by 2022. Full fibre broadband will be of particular use to rural communities, such as Penrith and The Border.
"I welcome this fantastic news, which will increase connectivity and improve the lives of people across Penrith & The Border. The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme demonstrates the Government's commitment to getting more homes and businesses connected to full fibre broadband. This generous investment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which will help prepare the ground for 5G rollout, will be fantastic for Cumbrian businesses, homes and communities. I would like to urge people to take advantage of these vouchers and I very much look forward to seeing the results".