Country information - Bulgaria | Shaping Europe’s digital future

Summary of broadband development in Bulgaria

The provision of Internet and e-services in Bulgaria is relatively good in the most urban areas. Bulgaria holds one of the top positions in Europe for speed of the Internet used in major cities. However, in medium and small cities as well as in remote and less-populated rural places, white areas have no access to the Internet.

Bulgaria’s National Strategy for the Development of Broadband Access was approved in 2009 and updated in 2012. It includes plans for broadband development in the country from 2012 to 2015 with links to 2020. The National Broadband Infrastructure Plan for Next Generation Access was adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2014. A Roadmap for the implementation of the plan was adopted 2016. The documents follow the Digital Agenda for Europe targets. The new broadband plan is in preparation.

National broadband strategy and policy

Responsible authorities

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications (Министерство на транспорта, информационните технологии и съобщенията, MTITC) coordinates all the activities for the implementation of the policy in the field of information and communications technology. The ministry aims to develop a legal framework to ensure an effective environment for the communication business and the construction and maintenance of modern electronic communications infrastructure.
The State e-Government Agency SEGA (Държавна агенция „Електронно управление“ ДАЕУ) introduces control-related policies, rules, regulations and good practices in the field of electronic governance, strategic planning and initiatives, budget planning and control, coordinates sector-related policies and interdepartmental projects.
The Communications Regulation Commission (Комисията за регулиране на съобщенията) oversees broadband deployment on a national level and executes the laws and performs regulations as well as supervision in the field of technical standards or use of frequencies.

Main aims for broadband development

Bulgaria's national broadband strategy, National Broadband Infrastructure Plan for Next Generation Access (Council of Ministers Decision № 435/26.06.2014) is valid for 2014-2020. It is accompanied by a roadmap for its implementation, adopted in 2016. The plan sets broadband targets in line with the DAE: 100% coverage with at least 30 Mbps until 2020, and 50% take-up rate for 100 Mbps. An update of the national broadband plan is in preparation.

Bulgaria targets an 80% take-up rate (100 Mbps) for businesses by 2020. Apart from its main objective to create the necessary legal framework, Bulgaria has designated the construction of broadband infrastructure in remote and sparsely populated areas as its first priority, as these areas represent a deficit in the use of Internet and all related services. The upgrade and support of optical high speed infrastructures servicing the public administration and respective local authorities is the next planned step. These measures will put in place a stable technical basis for the establishment of a fully functional e-government. This will also create conditions for Bulgarian citizens and businesses to benefit from the opportunities provided by the developing digital services based on broadband infrastructure.

Main measures for broadband development

Regulation measures: A specialised law on electronic communications infrastructure aims at increasing the supply of broadband access in Bulgaria by promoting competition, simplifying authorisation procedures, and encouraging investments in infrastructure.
Financial measures: Broadband expansion projects in Bulgaria are financed by using mainly structural funds from the EU. Alternative financing instruments include state budget and private investments.
Soft measures: Measures for the stimulation of the supply and demand of services carried over broadband networks that aim at increasing the digital competence of the population and encouraging the use of electronic services.

Read the roadmap for implementing the National Broadband Infrastructure Plan for Next Generation Access where the above measures have been listed.

Strategic objectives regarding NGA coverage

Strategic objectives for settlements in black areas (with two or more providers offering 30+Mbps)

Development of fixed broadband networks, in order to provide 100% of the access with speeds exceeding 100 Mbps;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds of over 100 Mbps to at least 65% of households;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds of over 100 Mbps for all business organizations;

Strategic objectives for settlements located in grey areas (with at least one provider that offers 30+Mbps)

Development of fixed broadband networks, in order to provide 80% of the access with speeds of over 100 Mbps;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds of over 100 Mbps to at least 55% of all households;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds of over 100 Mbps for all business organizations.

Strategic objectives of settlements located in white areas (without any provider, that offers 30+Mbps)

Ensuring next generation broadband access with full coverage in the area;
Development of fixed broadband networks, in order to provide 60% of the access with speeds exceeding 100 Mbps;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds of over 100 Mbps for at least 34% of all households;
Enabling optical connectivity and broadband access with speeds exceeding 100 Mbps for all business organizations.

Source: Bulgaria's National Broadband Infrastructure Plan for Next Generation Access

The development and deployment of high-speed networks is set as a priority in Bulgaria’s National Development Programme (NDP) Bulgaria 2030. The priorities focus on: deploying high-speed networks, especially broadband in rural areas, effective assignment of the spectrum for wireless broadband and 5G, accelerated development and take-up of broadband-dependent services such as cloud, IoT, etc. as well as the development of digital skills and services.

National and regional broadband financial instruments

State Aid: For 2014-2020 Bulgaria allocated EUR 30 million from EAFRD for the development of ultra-fast networks. Additional funds are being allocated for “soft” measures such as digital competence, training programs, etc. The Roadmap for the implementation of the Strategy on the Development of e-Government in Bulgaria (Пътна карта за изпълнение на Стратегия за развитие на електронното управление в Република България за периода 2016-2020 г.) indicates that more than EUR 65 million will be invested in e-Government development.

Data on broadband development and technologies in Bulgaria

For the latest data on broadband coverage, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different broadband technologies and costs, check the scoreboard reports and the country reports of the Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI).