BT, the prominent fixed-line broadband provider in the United Kingdom, has announced that community bodies could still enlist in one of the major award schemes of the UK ISP.

The award scheme for the Community Connections prizes of BT will accept applications until the beginning of the next year. The awards scheme is open to any group which is able to demonstrate how the award could benefit its functioning.

Other groups including schools that win a prize will be presented with access to both free broadband connection for an year and a laptop. Over six thousand five hundred prizes have been distributed to a galaxy of community groups since 2000, as cluster awards that boast of a tailored IT equipment package are also availed to the contenders.

The award details have been revealed by BT following a research carried out by the ISP revealing the fact that sixty one per cent of small business firms believed that fast broadband access had impacted positively on their operations.

The research also disclosed that businesses in the country were more and more engaging such broadband services particularly to embrace e-commerce.