The Remote Area Broadband Inclusion Trial is designed to try and help small businesses get connected to the Internet in areas where ADSL is not available. Grants are available for initial connection and for upgrades. For further info see their website

Rabbit Synopsis

The Remote Area Broadband Inclusion Trial or RABBIT is an existing initiative in the UK that provides grants to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that have no access to standard broadband services. The RBAP project in the West Midlands will modify the process to include broadband and ICT consultancy, in order to maximise the impact of the grant funding. It will also offer a number of grants in areas where broadband is available, but SME’s need to move to an increased level of broadband / ICT usage.

RABBIT grants can be issued to SME’s either for the initial installation of broadband or for upgrading to higher speed services. Each site will be evaluated by an ICT adviser from the local Business Link to determine the SME eligibility, requirement and most effective solution.

The Business Links participating in the RABBIT scheme for the West Midlands are:-

West Mercia, Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, and Staffordshire

There are two levels of grant on offer. The first level (L1) is a grant for a basic 512kbps broadband service to those SMEs without access to such a service to a maximum of £800. The RABBIT Project Team will decide eligibility for this level of support, and no matching spend by the SME is required.

The second level (L2) is a grant for higher speed broadband, requiring 50% match funding by the SME, such that the project will fund half of the total value of the intervention to a maximum of £2500. This grant can be offered in areas where a 512kbps broadband service is available, but where SMEs can present a strong case for the business benefits to the adviser for upgraded connectivity. All grant applications are centrally administered by the RABBIT team, though the interface for the SME should be via their local Business Link.

The RABBIT element of the Rural Broadband Infrastructure Project will ensure that broadband will be available to businesses in any part of the region, however remote and isolated they may be. If companies in the West Midlands are to compete in a global market-place, having access to high-speed broadband is not just important, it is absolutely essential. This project will plug the gaps and enable the entire West Midlands to enjoy the benefits that broadband access brings.

By the end of 2006, outside London, the West Midlands will be the leading region for broadband coverage.