The ‘Connectivity Voucher Scheme’ has been included in Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) for the period 2021-2026 (Axis 4.1 Connectivity Infrastructure Upgrade), contributing to the strategic objective of the country’s digital transformation. The Scheme will contribute to the EU’s strategic objectives set in the Communication for the Gigabit Society, the Communication for Shaping Europe’s Digital Future, the Communication on the Digital Compass, as well as the Digital Decade Policy Programme recently adopted by the Council and European Parliament.

The total budget of the Scheme is EUR 10 million allocated from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and, if required, €2 million from additional national resources. The Scheme will be in place until Q2 2025, based on the established objectives/commitments of the Republic of Cyprus in the RRP and its budget will be allocated through two successive calls. The first call with a budget of €3.5 million, to be allocated from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and, where needed, from national resources, with a deadline of 30/9/2023 (or earlier if the available budget is absorbed), aims to achieve the first target set in the RRP (24.300 “Gigabit-ready” premises by the Q2 2023). This will be followed by a second call with a budget of at least € 6,5 million, which will cover the second target set in the RRP (a total of 82.000 “Gigabit-ready” premises by Q2 2025).

In particular, the ‘Connectivity Voucher Scheme’ provides a subsidy covering part of the set-up cost and part of the monthly subscription cost for the first twelve months of a broadband connection with download speeds of at least 200 Mbps at peak time conditions. The total value of the voucher is a fixed amount of €120 per connection for one year. Eligible beneficiaries of the Scheme will be individuals who either install a connection for the first time or upgrade from their existing connection, which should be less than 100 Mbps, to a connection of at least 200Mbps, regardless of technology. More specifically, the beneficiaries of the Scheme are households located in the Republic of Cyprus within the intervention areas. Intervention areas are all the areas of the Republic of Cyprus where the required speeds can be provided. Both Multi-dwelling units (MDU) and single dwelling units (SDU) are eligible under the Scheme. Each Beneficiary can get a voucher for a single connection to a single postal address. However, vouchers cannot be used for switching an existing connection that meets the criteria of the Scheme from one Provider to another (e.g. switching from a connection with download speed of 200Mbps to another Provider’s connection with the same speed).

Beneficiaries will be able to benefit from the eligible services through the Telecom Providers participating in the Scheme. All Electronic Communications Providers who are interested in providing speeds/connectivity on the basis of the specifications of the Scheme can apply for participation. In addition, they will be able to benefit from the voucher scheme independently of the technological platform through which they provide their services. The Scheme ensures that there is no discrimination between Providers and that all of them can participate on equal terms.