450 localities in the Silesian and Lower Silesian voivodeships will gain a fibre-optic network thanks to funds from the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO). The investment is being carried out by the Tauron energy concern. The work has already begun, and the company is currently preparing proceedings to select general contractors.
The concern has signed agreements for co-financing from the KPO for the construction of fibre-optic infrastructure in three areas won in the competition: Kłodzko-Ząbkowice, Świdnicko-Wałbrzyskie and Pszczyna-Tyła. The total amount of co-financing is more than PLN 85 million. Ultimately, the programme is to cover 450 towns and cities located in 58 municipalities in southern Poland.
“Funding from the National Reconstruction Plan will allow the construction of a fibre-optic network in areas where this would not be commercially possible. The creation of this infrastructure will allow access to high-speed internet and modern digital services for the inhabitants of these regions, as well as create conditions for the development of entrepreneurship and the use of modern online services”, says Tauron’s president Paweł Szczeszek,
As part of the investment, more than 2,000 km of modern fibre-optic network in xPON technology will be created. The project is aimed at eliminating the so-called ‘white spots’, i.e. covering households and educational units, where the available bandwidth has not exceeded 30 Mb/s so far, with broadband Internet coverage.
According to the company, transfers from 300/100 Mbps to 1000/200 Mbps will be available to residents, and 1000/1000 Mbps symmetrical connections will be available to addresses marked as SED.
In accordance with the rules of the competition, the Centre for Digital Poland Projects has designated more than 24,000 premises for mandatory connection, including households, enterprises and users requiring services with the highest parameters. Moreover, as part of its own investments, Tauron is planning to successively connect more households.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński