Fontmell Magna Parish is being offered a great opportunity to boost broadband provision.

The Government’s Gigabit Voucher scheme, which runs until 31st March 2021, provides funding to rural households and businesses towards receiving full-fibre broadband in homes and premises. Dorset Council has topped up the scheme to enable even more communities to receive faster broadband including those in our parish.

To be eligible for a voucher a household or business must be receiving currently broadband speeds of less than 100 Mbps (megabits per second) and have a rural postcode. Residential households will be able to claim up to £2,500 and businesses up to £6,000.

People receiving full fibre under the scheme will have to commit to taking out a 12-month internet service of at least 30 Mbps or if they already receive that speed or above, a service that is at least double their current speed.

There is more information at Gigabit Vouchers – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport or from Dorset Council.

This is a very welcome initiative for many of us but for the scheme to get up and running it requires households and businesses in a parish to come together through the Parish Council to apply for their vouchers – individual premises cannot apply on their own.

If you are interested in joining a community group to boost the broadband service you receive at your home or business in Fontmell Magna parish please email us at broadband@fontmellmagnapc.co.uk with your name, address and telephone number. Don’t delay as we need to register our interest in the scheme before the grant funding runs out.

If you have any questions please call Mike on 07850 875429.

Mike Humphreys, FM Parish Council