Decision details

18/00024(a): Kent Broadband Voucher Scheme

Kent County Council has been working with the Government’s broadband agency, Broadband Delivery (UK) to improve access to superfast broadband services. To date this work, through the delivery of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects, has already brought superfast broadband to over 135,000 homes and businesses and has meant that 95% of properties across Kent can now access a superfast broadband service.

The Council is keen to pilot a voucher scheme to benefit those properties in hard-to-reach locations which are outside the scope of the current BDUK Phase 2 project. The Kent Broadband Voucher Scheme will offer up to £1,700 per property for the provision of a superfast or ultrafast broadband connection in these areas.

18/00024(b): Investment of additional gainshare funding to increase superfast broadband coverage (BDUK Phase 2 Project Extension)

Under Key Decision 14/00114 the Phase 2 contract to extend the reach of superfast broadband to at least 95% of properties in Kent was awarded. This contract built upon the BDUK Phase 1 project which increased the level of superfast broadband coverage to 91% by connecting properties that were outside the scope of market-led upgrade programmes.

These contracts were co-funded by the Government’s broadband delivery agency, Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and procured under the Government’s broadband procurement framework. Under this framework, all contracts contain a clause preventing the supplier being over subsidised. This means that if take-up exceeds 20% after seven years following the completion of the infrastructure build, money (referred to as gainshare) will be returned to an investment fund held by the supplier. The intention is that this funding should be recycled into additional coverage by extending current contracts.

The BDUK Phase 1 infrastructure build was completed in March 2016 and take-up is currently at 51%. This means that KCC now has up to £4.545 million of gainshare funding which can be reinvested by extending the Phase 2 contract. BT is in the process of modelling the potential additional superfast coverage that this funding could deliver.

18/00024(a): Kent Broadband Voucher Scheme

As Cabinet Member for Economic Development, I agree to establish and launch a Kent Broadband Voucher Scheme.

18/00024(b): Investment of additional gainshare funding to increase superfast broadband coverage (BDUK Phase 2 Project Extension)

As Cabinet Member for Economic Development, I agree to invest the £4.545 million of additional available gainshare funding to increase superfast broadband coverage across Kent by extending the Broadband Delivery UK Phase 2 contract.