The government anticipates that up to 20% of homes and businesses in the UK may not get upgraded by commercial investment by 2030 and to upgrade these will require some public subsidy funding support. They have therefore set up the £5 Billion Project Gigabit Programme which includes procurements and voucher schemes and is being managed by Building Digital UK (BDUK), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
For more information on Project Gigabit, please visit the government's Project Gigabit (GOV.UK) page.
Procurements
BDUK have divided the UK into different procurement areas known as 'Lots.' Most Surrey homes and businesses are included in in either Lot 22C (West and Mid Surrey) or Lot 22a (East Surrey) although about 24,000 Surrey premises are included in other Lots including Lot 1 (West Sussex), Lot 26 (Bucks, Herts and East of Berkshire), Lot 27 (Hampshire), Lot 29 (Kent) and Lot 37 (Greater London).
Openreach have recently been awarded the Project Gigabit Cross Regional Framework Agreement with several call-offs. The £149.7 million Call-Off 1 contract will connect 54,300 premises located in six areas (Lots) across England including some homes and businesses in Lot 22C (Mid and West Surrey). Before any build starts, assurance processes will take place to confirm current public subsidy eligibility of all premises in the contract as well as the Lots. Homes and businesses in East Surrey (Lot 22a) that have not benefitted from any other gigabit plans may also be reviewed at this time.
Gigabit Voucher Scheme
The Gigabit Voucher Scheme enables eligible homes and businesses in Surrey to work together as a community with a supplier and apply for voucher funding of up to £4,500 each towards the cost of getting full fibre infrastructure to their homes.
Note: The Gigabit Voucher Scheme is currently paused across Surrey.
