BUSINESSES in Aberdeen were today urged to take advantage of the government’s ‘Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme’ to help reduce the cost of super-fast internet connections.
The Broadband Delivery UK initiative provides city councils with additional budget to offer small and medium companies grants of up to £3,000 towards connection and construction charges* for a range of services from suppliers including BT Business.
Aberdeen is one of 13 UK cities where the scheme is already available. The others are: Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Portsmouth and Salford.
A further nine cities are planning to join the scheme by the end of March: Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Derry/Londonderry, Leeds, Oxford, Perth and York.
Once a business has checked they are eligible via their local city council, and understood the full terms and conditions of the programme, they will need to complete an application form. They will then receive a provisional offer regarding the amount of funding they can expect, following an assessment by the city council, and be asked to get quotes from two providers.
Brendan Dick, BT Scotland director, said: “This exciting scheme is a vital step forward for small and medium firms in Aberdeen. It will allow even more businesses to take advantage of the huge benefits offered by super-fast internet connections.
“Businesses can use the technology to boost their competitiveness, work more efficiently, attract new customers or strengthen relationships with existing customers. Every Aberdeen firm that switches to faster broadband is good news for the city.”
In order to qualify, businesses must be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as defined by the European Commission: employ between one and 249 persons, with an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million**.
For further details about the scheme and how BT Business can help, please visit www.bt.com/BDUKvoucher
Ends
Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Scotland Press Office on 0800 085 0660 All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre
Notes to editors
* The grant is for between £250 and £3,000. The voucher cannot be put towards monthly rentals. Businesses pay the VAT, any amount over £3,000 and the monthly subscription cost. Terms and conditions apply.
**The business property must be located within the participating City Council local authority area. The address must be the registered office or trading address of the SME business (if they work from a residential property as their main business base they can still apply). Registered charities, social enterprises and sole traders that meet the SME criteria below are welcome to apply. Terms and conditions apply.
About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group’s reported revenue was £18,103m with reported profit before taxation of £2,315m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.
For more information, visit www.btplc.com
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Contact: Mitch Reid
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Email: mitchell.reid@bt.com
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