Broadband State Aid Advice
Guidance covering plans to improve the UK's broadband network, with emphasis on making high-speed broadband available in rural areas.
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State aid
Local authorities must take account of the European Commission’s State aid and competition regulations.
These local broadband projects will receive varying levels of public funding from the BDUK programme, as well as other sources public funding.
In almost all cases, therefore, the funding for these local and community broadband projects will give rise to State aid: the funding is from or through State resources, it will confer a selective advantage on the suppliers appointed to deliver the local and community broadband projects (and other third parties), and it is liable to affect competitive and trading conditions in the EU market place.
The 2016 National Broadband Scheme
On 26 May 2016 the European Commission approved the 2016 National Broadband Scheme, which is an umbrella scheme for broadband projects in the UK. The Decision can be accessed here.
Local bodies can apply to BDUK directly for confirmation that their local broadband projects comply with the terms of the umbrella scheme and are therefore state aid compliant.
BDUK has provided guidance on this process:
- 2016 National Broadband Scheme Overview
- Clarifications on 2016 NBS
- NGA Technology Guidelines
- Open Access Wholesale Guidance Requirements
- Wholesale Pricing Benchmarking
- Mapping and Public Consultation
- Clawback
- Procurement
- Delivery and Funding
- Transparency
- National Broadband Scheme Evaluation Plan
Additional specific guidance on mapping, public consultations and claw-back will be uploaded to this webpage soon. If you have any questions about the umbrella aid scheme, which is known as the National Broadband Scheme for the UK, please contact us: stateaidforbroadband@culture.gov.uk.
Information about State Aid Approved Projects
An important part of the operation of the 2012 and the 2016 National Broadband Scheme is transparency of the scheme itself, projects funded under it, and the rules to which local bodies and successful suppliers will be subject.
Details regarding the projects that have been approved can be found on our shared spreadsheet (Google Doc)
Links to the coverage maps can be found here Google Map.
2012 National Broadband Scheme
BDUK previously signed contracts under its former state aid Decision which ran from November 2012 to June 2015. Guidance regarding the former state aid Decision, which applied to contracts signed under that Decision can be found below:
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance - Overview of the Scheme and Criteria for use
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance - Technology Guidelines
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance - New Wholesale Access Requests
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance - Basic test for new wholesale access requests on part-state funded networks
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance – Wholesale Price Benchmarking
- State aid - 2012 NBS Guidance – Clawback
In June 2015 - BDUK published an independent evaluation of the State aid aspects of its National Broadband Scheme (NBS).
Independent evaluation of the UK’s broadband State aid measure - November/December 2014
BDUK has appointed Oxera to conduct an independent evaluation of the State aid aspects of its National Broadband Scheme (NBS). For stakeholders interested in submitting representations more details can be found on the evaluation webpage.
New Ducts and Poles
Information regarding new ducts and poles constructed under the 2012 Decision can be found here under the heading of “PIA Plus qualifying infrastructure”. This new infrastructure can be used to provide broadband services, as well as business services, where providing business services supports the primary business case of NGA broadband.
Updates to this page
Published 19 November 2014Last updated 31 May 2022 + show all updates
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Adding in BDUK as a lead organisation.
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New document added - National Broadband Scheme Evaluation Plan
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Now includes a link to the clarifications of the 2016 NBS webpage.
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Page now includes links to National Broadband Scheme Procurement, Delivery and Funding, and Transparency guidance pages.
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Information regarding new ducts and poles can be found here. Links to the Mapping and Public Consultation and Clawback guidance are also added.
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Links to both the 2012 and 2016 National Broadband Schemes can now be accessed here
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UK Next Generation Network Infrastructure Deployment Plan has now been published.
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First published.