Bulgaria signs six contracts worth 434M leva for digital connectivity in small settlements
Bulgaria’s government signed on June 10 six contracts worth a total of 433.6 million leva excluding value-added tax for the construction of digital networks in sparsely populated areas.
The contracts were signed with A1 Bulgaria, Vivacom Bulgaria and CETIN Bulgaria (part of the Yettel Bulgaria group), the government information service said.
Of the total value of the contracts, more than 390 million leva excluding VAT is from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov, speaking at the signing ceremony, said: “We will no longer talk about digital nomadism, but about opportunities that will be available not only to those living in sparsely populated areas, but also to future businesses that will develop their potential there.
“This is an important step towards the digital transition. I would say a digital march towards sparsely populated areas. Where there is no market potential,” he said.
Zhelyazkov said that the project will provide an opportunity not only for access to high-speed internet for users, but also for a different regional policy and, as a result, for a better demographic policy.
“This project will be implemented in an extremely short time, the necessary digital infrastructure will be built and the process of subsequent regulation is pending, so that all telecommunications operators have access to provide digital services of different nature,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said that the total investment in the project is nearly half a billion leva.
Karazhov said that the operators are participating with 10 per cent co-financing.
“This is a good example of both a public-private partnership between the state and the operators, and their social responsibility. More than 7000 km of optical network must be developed in a little over a year,” he said.
He said that the Ministry of Transport and Communications will exercise very strict control, together with the Communications Regulation Commission, to ensure that high-speed internet is built in each of the planned points on time.
Karadzhov said that the project provides for over 100 times faster internet than the current one.
“In remote areas, it will be possible to develop business in the same way as investments are currently being made around large cities. For education, as the government’s top priority, daily access to fast internet will also be ensured,” he said.
He recalled that the ministry urgently prepared and adopted legislation that provides new opportunities and shortened deadlines for building networks to base stations. These will provide uninterrupted internet when there is a problem with electricity.
“The permits for this equipment alone would have taken two years. Now the optical network is starting to be built, where permits are not needed, and by the end of the summer, work will start in the remaining areas,” Karadzhov said.
(Photo: government.bg)
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