Stirling MP Alyn Smith has welcomed confirmation from the Scottish Government of a voucher scheme to help connect everyone to superfast broadband by the end of 2021.

The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme will give homes and businesses funding of up to £5,000 if they are not in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme – the Scottish Government funded programme to give every property access to superfast broadband.

The Scottish Government is also making £400 vouchers available to premises where broadband is planned for the end of 2021 already – and an additional £250 voucher will be available for the hardest to reach premises.

Residents and businesses can check if they are included in the R100 programme by typing their postcode into: https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com

Alyn Smith MP said:

“Throughout most of the lockdown, I held many surgeries and meetings with people across the Stirling area virtually. However, this entirely depended on a reliable internet connection on both ends.

“More and more, people are moving to an online way of doing things, and the Covid-19 crisis and demonstrated just what a lifeline this can be. Most businesses now are now online for at least some part of their operations.

“Although telecommunications is a reserved matter to the Westminster Parliament, The Scottish Government has intervened on the rollout of superfast broadband, reaching almost 90% of Stirling properties by the end of last year.

“This voucher system will help the final few of the hardest to reach properties connect to reliable, up to date broadband, and I know it will be a welcome this assurance for residents and businesses in particularly rural areas.”