The Government have reported that following the Connection Voucher Scheme, businesses who took up the offer saw an average profit increase of £1300 a year.
Firms also reported that they saw employee effectiveness and system efficiency increase, and said that their faster broadband connection had made it easier to deliver on goods or services for current customers, as well as help them reach out to new customers.
Over 55,000 small and medium businesses across the country benefitted from the scheme, with 6,799 businesses benefitting in the Midlands region.
Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “Our Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme has been a tremendous success. More than 55,000 small businesses across the UK have taken up the offer, many of which are already seeing significant boosts to their business as a result of improved broadband speeds. We’re transforming the UK’s digital landscape, helping cities to create new jobs and attract investment to make the UK an enviable business destination.”
As well as businesses benefitting, the Connection Voucher scheme helped suppliers as well. More than 800 suppliers, Midland Networks included, took part in the scheme and helped connect businesses. The big three Internet Service Providers – BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk – reportedly only accounted for 14% of connections via the scheme, meaning the majority of connections were made through smaller providers up and down the country.
Overall though it faced some criticism that it wasn’t doing enough, the scheme can be classed as a success. Hopefully this scheme will not be the last of its kind, and the Government will find similar initiatives to benefit SME’s and ISPs alike.