A new GOV.UK service allows businesses and individuals to find out whether their address is due a broadband upgrade. By entering your postcode, you can see whether your premises or home is covered by rollout plans.
The government’s Project Gigabit initiative is aiming to achieve 99% gigabit coverage by 2032. Rural communities, in particular, have to deal with slow internet speeds and this can make doing business in those areas challenging.
If your premises are not covered by a current plan, the checker will redirect you to Ofcom so that you can see which broadband suppliers are active in your area. You could then contact them to register your interest in an upgrade, which may help them to assess demand in your area and inform future rollout plans.
If you struggle with a slow internet connection, it could be worth using the checker to find out whether upgrades are available in your area.
To use the checker, see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-your-gigabit-broadband-availability
UK businesses are facing a “cost of business crisis”, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Its new cost-stack calculator shows government policy alone has pushed up an average firm's expenses by 70% over the past decade, adding roughly £827,000 a year in costs for a typical mid-sized business. About a quarter of the rise stems from the increase in employer National Insurance contributions, with the higher minimum wage and mandatory pension auto-enrolment also major contributors.
Under Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, sole traders and landlords with income of more than £50,000 have been required to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC since 6 April 2026.
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