KC continues to connect small businesses following Government’s “Superfast Britain” scheme

Following on from the Government’s “Superfast Britain” voucher scheme, Hull-based communications provider KC has launched its own scheme to provide more businesses with ultrafast broadband.

Until the last day of 2015, KC is reducing the cost of connection to its Lightstream service for SMEs by up to £1k. This will allow many businesses to receive a free connection to the transformative fibre broadband network.

The announcement comes after the Government’s successful “Superfast Britain” voucher scheme, which gave businesses across the UK a grant of up to £3k to cover the cost of installing superfast broadband.

Introduced in 2012, the scheme was extended to 50 cities across the UK, with Hull joining the programme in April 2015. More than 1,000 local businesses signed up to it before the £40m of funding that had been allocated to it for 2015/16 ran out, just last month.

KC has since lobbied Chancellor George Osborne and Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey to provide further funding for the connection voucher scheme so that more Hull businesses can benefit from the productivity gains superfast broadband can bring.

However, pending a Government decision, KC has also decided to fund its own connection offer to help companies make a step change in connectivity and, as a result, business performance.

Alan Worthing, KC’s director of business, said: “The Superfast Britain scheme was an outstanding success. More than 1,000 businesses used vouchers from the Government to switch to our ultrafast Lightstream service and the feedback we’ve received about the positive impact has been tremendous.

“However, because the scheme ended with very little notice, we know there are many local businesses – perhaps hundreds – that missed out.

“We want to help as many local businesses as possible get affordable access to ultrafast connectivity, enabling them to work in new ways to boost productivity, efficiency and profitability.”

KC is reducing the cost of connecting to Lightstream by up to £1k for orders placed before 31 December 2015.

As part of the scheme, business customers in existing Lightstream roll-out areas will receive free installation, saving them a £120 connection fee. Businesses in parts of KC’s network where Lightstream is not already available can get connected for £1k, which is half the usual connection fee charged beyond roll-out areas.

Mr Worthing added: “The KC-funded offer will, in many cases, enable local businesses to connect to our game-changing Lightstream broadband network completely free of charge.

“In areas where we haven’t yet installed the fibre infrastructure, businesses will be able to hook up to Lightstream at a significantly reduced cost.

“Given the time of year, this is an opportunity for business owners to give themselves a Christmas present that they will enjoy the benefits from all year round.”

The first Hull firm to take up the Government’s scheme stands by the transformational impact of Lightstream. Paul Rymer, owner of Peckhams.com, an independent computer sales and repair shop on Holderness Road, Hull, siad his connection speeds had gone from 4 Mbps (megabits per second) to 100 Mbps.

Mr Rymer commented: “Repairs and upgrades can now be done within an hour or two, compared with two days on the old service. I wish I’d had Lightstream 10 years ago as I get 10 times the amount of work done!”

KC offers businesses download speeds of at least 100Mbps (megabits per second), which is officially designated as “ultrafast” and four times faster than the definition for “superfast” broadband.

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