The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme provides funding to help homes and businesses in rural areas connect to gigabit-capable broadband where commercial networks or government-funded rollout is not available.
Latest update (March 2026)
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme continues to support rural communities that are not included in commercial broadband rollout or Project Gigabit contracts.
As broadband networks expand across Cambridgeshire, the scheme is now focused on the hardest-to-reach areas where no other delivery is currently planned.
This means eligibility is more targeted, ensuring funding is directed to locations that would otherwise miss out on gigabit-capable connectivity.
What is the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme
The scheme is part of the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme and provides grants that help fund the installation of gigabit-capable broadband connections.
Eligible homes and businesses can access vouchers worth up to £4,500 to help towards the costs of installing a gigabit-capable broadband connection.
Initially launched by the UK Government in March 2018 with the aim of increasing gigabit-capable coverage across the UK, vouchers are now only available for people experiencing slow broadband speeds in rural areas.
While the scheme is on pause for most premises in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough due to the Project Gigabit – a few areas outside the procurement area may still be eligible for a voucher.
**Please note that the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) will come to an end on 31 March 2028. Any suppliers wishing to register new voucher projects must have submitted them by 31 August 2026.**
Find out more
Because broadband rollout plans are changing, we recommend checking whether your property is eligible before trying to start an application.
As in some cases, gigabit broadband may already be planned in your area through commercial rollout or the Project Gigabit contract.
To find out more please visit the government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme page.
Please note that we don’t recommend using the ‘Gigabit Broadband Availability Checker’ on that page, as the data is incorrect. You can use our Postcode Checker to find out if gigabit-capable broadband is available in your area yet (or if we’re aware of any plans). Please contact the Connecting Cambridgshire team if you have queries about a voucher scheme. Please do check for gigabit availability regularly, as rollout plans can change.
The first phase of the scheme was designed to encourage broadband service providers to build full-fibre networks in the UK for small to medium-sized businesses and nearby residents when part of a group in the local area. The £67m fund was successfully used over two years.
In May 2019, the UK Gigabit Programme launched its second wave of funding to support the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in rural areas of the UK when part of a local group.
Community schemes
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme has supported rural connectivity for a number of years, helping communities access faster and more reliable broadband.
As rollout has accelerated across the UK, the scheme is now more focused on the most remote locations that are unlikely to be reached through commercial investment or large-scale contracts.
Read about one of the successful Cambridgeshire groups who used the Gigabit Vouchers to secure full fibre broadband.
Top up funding
In September 2020 Connecting Cambridgeshire secured extra “top-up” funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to help connect groups of rural properties getting less than 30Mbps.
Other funding support for broadband
Households and businesses with broadband speeds below 10mbps can request decent connections under the Government’s Universal Services Obligation.
