Some of the hardest-to-reach rural places in the UK are now eligible for government funding towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable* broadband to homes or businesses when part of a group project, thanks to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.

Premises must be in rural areas where available broadband speeds are less than 30 Megabits per second (Mbps). Vouchers are worth up to £3,500 for a small and medium-sized business and up to £1,500 per home.

You can check whether you are likely to be eligible for the rural gigabit voucher and search for a registered supplier by looking up your postcode at https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/rural/

Talk to suppliers in your area for the connection deal that is right for you and they will advise you on your eligibility and guide you through the process. You must commit to a 12-month contract with your supplier for a new download speed of at least 30 Mbps through a gigabit-capable connection.

*Gigabit-capable means that the connection can handle speeds of 1,000 Megabits per second but you only sign up to speeds you can afford. If your demand increases in the future, you can pay for more speed.