A LEADING local production company is one of the first to benefit from a voucher campaign to make Newcastle the most super-connected city in the UK.

The free £3,000 connection voucher, from Go Digital Newcastle, is paying for Re:production Ltd to get connected to superfast broadband at its new headquarters at Newcastle Business Park.

Go Digital Newcastle, a campaign being run by Newcastle City Council, is rolling superfast broadband out across 97 per cent of the city by Summer 2015.

The campaign provides local eligible businesses with vouchers worth up to £3,000 towards the cost of getting connected to superfast broadband, free business support and up to £2,000 towards the cost of equipment.

Phil Greenwood, Re:production managing partner, says faster broadband speeds will make a tremendous difference to his company, which was previously finding slow upload speeds a serious drag.

“Our broadband speed was previously so slow that even half a gig took an age to upload,” he said.

“We used to try to send files at night because they took so long.

“We work with files that can be two or three gigabytes in size – and we need to be able to download video rushes of up to 100 gigabytes, so superfast broadband is a gift.”

The new speeds mean Re:production will be able to send its large files in just two to three minutes, giving the company more time to work on other tasks.

The company makes TV commercials and corporate videos for significant organisations including Dreams, Barker and Stonehouse, Centre for Life, Metrocentre and Eldon Square.

Phil said: “We applied to Go Digital Newcastle, found we fitted the criteria, and because we needed a line installed, we were able to access the full £3,000 of funding.”

Quicker broadband will make a huge difference to the way his team works, saving time, money and a lot of frustration.

“We’ll now be able to send out in minutes station broadcast copies that used to take a while – which is important when you consider we might need to send out a hundred at once,” said Phil.

And he would definitely recommend that other local businesses should apply.

“We set up more than three years ago, and it’s the first funding we’ve ever received!” he said.

The Go Digital Newcastle team today urged local companies to make their own Connection Voucher application as soon as possible.

Lisa Clark, Project Director, said: “Go Digital Newcastle is getting lots of interest in the scheme and because funding is limited, we’re encouraging companies to act quickly so they don’t miss out.”

Businesses wanting to find out more about Go Digital Newcastle are invited to a Fast and Curious event at Toffee Factory, Ouseburn, on Thursday, May 29, from 2pm to 5pm, where they will also have chance to take a look around the latest in electric supercars and sample the food delights of Papa Ganoush.