Virgin Media Business introduces free broadband installation for small businesses as Government’s Super Connected Cities voucher scheme closed
· Virgin Media Business calls for reintroduction of the Government programme
Virgin Media Business, the arm of Virgin Media that provides products and services to UK businesses, has launched a free small business broadband installation scheme to help small businesses get online. This comes as the Government’s Super Connected Cities (SCC) voucher programme (www.connectionvouchers.co.uk) closed on 12 October 2015.
The SCC voucher programme, launched in 2010, offered small businesses in 50 cities across the UK grants of up to £3,000 to cover broadband installation costs. Following high levels of demand for the vouchers and the support the scheme provided to thousands of small businesses, Virgin Media Businesses has committed to cover up to £1,000 of installation costs for new business customers, in the same SCC cities where it has a network.
Virgin Media Business will trial the scheme for the rest of the year and has set the figure at £1,000 because almost all (86 per cent) of installations it completed under the SCC programme were for less than £1,000.
Mike Smith, Director of Small Business at Virgin Media Business, said: “We’ve connected thousands of small businesses with the support of the Super Connected Cities voucher scheme which was a huge success to help businesses get online. Given the extraordinary take-up among businesses and healthy competition between hundreds of connectivity suppliers, we strongly encourage the Government to reintroduce the scheme.
“In the meantime, we’re pleased to launch this exclusive trial for the UK’s small businesses to help them get online and thrive with the fastest available broadband. We know one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses is upfront costs, including for the likes of broadband.”
Virgin Media Business earlier this month launched a report, ‘The UK’s £92 billion Digital Opportunity’, which revealed digital technologies could boost the UK economy by 2.5% of GDP (or £92 billion), as well as creating over a million new jobs across all industries over the next two years. A report last month from the Federation of Small Business (FSB) stated that almost all small business owners (99 per cent) rate the internet as being highly important to their business with half of all small businesses (51 per cent) already offering services online, and an additional 15 per cent planning to do so in the near future.
Over the coming years Virgin Media is investing £3 billion in its infrastructure to bring the fastest broadband to nearly 17 million UK premises – homes and businesses – to help them seize the chance to become digital leaders.
About the programme
· The Virgin Media Business free installation scheme will cover installation of its 50Mb and 152Mb products (broadband only or bundles).
· Businesses can contact Virgin Media Business about the voucher scheme by calling 0800 953 0180 or online (www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk) to request a call back.
About Virgin Media Business
Virgin Media Business is the arm of Virgin Media that provides products and services to UK businesses and the public sector. We have more than 36,000 business customers, most of them small and medium enterprises. We also partner with the public sector; with local councils and thousands of schools to improve connectivity in communities and support learning; and with the emergency services to enable them to efficiently perform their life-saving skills.
We’re part of the Virgin Media group, the UK’s first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services. Virgin Media is a part of Liberty Global plc, the world’s largest international cable company. Together Virgin Media and Liberty Global serve 27 million customers across 14 countries, helping connect people to the digital world and enabling them to discover and experience its endless possibilities.
