Broadband voucher scheme has handed out more than £1million

The CSW Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme has now awarded over £1million to businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire since it was launched in February 2014.

Under the scheme, grants of up to £3,000 are available to SMEs, sole traders, social enterprises and registered charities to upgrade to superfast broadband.

Businesses are now being encouraged to make use of the voucher scheme while funding is still available.

The scheme, which is a partnership between Warwickshire County Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Coventry City Council, BT and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has benefited businesses in numerous ways.

They have seen their download speeds increase, on average, from 8Mbps to 100Mbps, meaning that online tasks such as file transfers, sales, and video conferencing can be undertaken much more quickly and reliably.

Better broadband can increase productivity through the use of cloud computing and remote working by staff. The internet also opens up the opportunity to connect with new and existing customers through online communication channels, as well as accessing new markets through digital marketing.

 The Scheme is administered by Coventry City Council’s Innovative Coventry Team, part of the Council’s business investment offer to drive economic growth and job creation. To apply, find out more about the scheme or see who the most active broadband suppliers are visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/broadband .

The team can also be contacted via email at broadband@coventry.gov.uk or phone on 024 7683 1833.