A new voucher scheme launched by the Welsh Government will help give businesses in the Teifi Valley Local Growth Zone ultrafast internet speeds, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James has said.

The new Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher will provide assistance of up to £10,000 towards the capital costs of having speeds of more than 100Mbps. It will be suitable for medium and larger businesses or smaller businesses with large data requirements which require greater speeds.

The Deputy Minister said: “There is no question that first class internet connectivity is paramount for all businesses from the smallest micro-business to the largest multinational.

“The speeds provided by superfast broadband will be enough for most SMEs, but for some businesses more capacity is required. Ultrafast speeds exceeding 100 Mbps are particularly suitable for larger businesses and those which use a large amount of data. The significant initial costs of having ultrafast broadband speeds, particularly in rural areas, can be a barrier for some businesses.

“The Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher will remove that cost barrier, and make reaching ultrafast speeds much easier. In line with our economic priorities the voucher scheme will initially be available in most Enterprise and Local Growth Zones.

“ Along with Superfast Cymru this represents another piece in the jigsaw in making Wales one of the most connected countries in the world.”

The scheme will allow the installation of products that provide businesses with the guaranteed bandwidth and greater resilience they require, for example, businesses with greater numbers of staff using computers, businesses which make significant use of cloud computing, or those which use a large amount of data or where guaranteed speeds offered by an uncontended line are essential.