The Rural Area Information Technology Broadband Network (RAIN) project has extended broadband access throughout rural Lithuania. It has established connections for a range of services, including public administration and educational and healthcare institutions.
- 02 November 2018
Along with nationwide operators, small broadband market players expand their business and attract new markets in rural regions of Lithuania by using the RAIN and RAIN-2 networks. The network not only helps local communities and business to be more digital but also encourages broadband operators to be more active, competitive and enterprising.
A total of 3 357 km of fibre optic cabling was laid and 3 000 km was leased under RAIN, while 935 access points were installed. The infrastructure is composed of 51 separate networks, each in a different municipality.
The networks provide broadband access for 330 schools and 467 sub-districts. The population of the areas covered by the infrastructure is around 300 000.
Bridging the digital divide
Before RAIN was implemented, there were significant differences in the availability of IT networks between urban and rural areas of Lithuania. Rural areas are not attractive for commercial investment in broadband due to their low numbers of potential subscribers, lack of existing infrastructure and dispersed nature of settlements, which makes construction expensive.
With a view to bridging the digital divide and making rural areas more competitive, RAIN was launched following the establishment of the public company Plačiajuostis internetas in 2005. The main aims of Plačiajuostis internetas are to increase access to broadband, implement related projects and manage infrastructural operations.
To help achieve these aims, it set several targets for RAIN. They included providing data transmission services for 80 % of rural schools as envisaged under Lithuania’s education strategy, 75 % of all rural public administration authorities, thus creating a secure transmission network, 75 % of rural healthcare institutions as foreseen under the national e-health strategy, and 75 % of public internet access points set up by local authorities.
No restrictions for providers
The RAIN networks are owned by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which decides on services to be supplied and tariffs. Plačiajuostis internetas operates the networks and performs maintenance along with private entities selected via public procurement. All broadband providers can use the infrastructure on equal terms, without participating in tendering processes, and end users can buy services from whichever provider best meets their needs.
Named as one of 12 best-practice examples in a European Commission broadband investment guide, RAIN made possible the launch of further projects, notably RAIN-2, a second phase under which 5 775 km of fibre optic cable was laid and 2 789 broadband access points were set up to serve some 700 000 people, more than 700 schools and around 850 libraries. RAIN-2 won the 2015 European Broadband Award in the socio-economic impact and affordability category.
Aimed at connecting rural economic actors to broadband networks, the PRIP and PRIP2 projects also used RAIN infrastructure. PRIP installed 485 km of fibre optic cable and 443 access points to meet the needs of around 100 000 people. Corresponding figures for PRIP2 were 340 km, 400 and 20 000 respectively.
As of 2018, 55 providers were using networks under RAIN and PRIP, many of them small operators with a strong understanding of local conditions. In all, 97 % of Lithuania’s municipalities had at least two providers using RAIN infrastructure and 63 % had at least five. Moreover, 61.6 % of rural households were using broadband, up from 4.9 % in 2006.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “The Rural Area Information Technology Broadband Network (RAIN)” is about EUR 21 400 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 11 342 000 through the “Economic Growth” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Information Society”.