High speed broadband boost for small firms

HUNDREDS of small firms based in Liverpool city centre could  benefit from a high speed broadband funding scheme offering up to £3,000.

The city council estimates up to 500 SMEs, social enterprises or charities could benefit from the Liverpool Broadband Vouchers Scheme, which is being implemented as part of a national drive to provide a much better service of superfast broadband.

Mayor Joe Anderson said: “I want Liverpool to be the best digitally connected city in the UK. We have a long road ahead to achieve this but this scheme is a major leap in taking the city’s economy to the next level. We are competing on a global stage and investment in our digital infrastructure is a real priority for the city.”

The council is working with Liverpool Commercial District Business Improvement District (BID) on the scheme, who will ensure all eligible businesses in the city centre have the opportunity to apply.

Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said: “This broadband scheme is a game changer for Liverpool city centre. It’s going to make a huge impact to the efficiency and productivity of businesses and make Liverpool an even more attractive place to do business.”

The voucher can be used towards the cost of making the physical connection to business premises, but cannot pay for monthly rental or for any IT equipment. The connection needs to give a real change in service speed – upgrading to a minimum of 30Mbps on a shared line or 20Mbps on a dedicated business grade line.