The ERDF-funded Broadband Pomerania project has helped develop the information society in the Pomorskie voivodeship of Poland by constructing a 1 836 km fibre optic network across the region.
- 18 January 2016
When one thinks that the amount of information in the world more than doubles every two years, it is easy to see the importance of developing digital technologies and easing access to information. Thanks to the investment, Pomerania is now a region in which the number of Internet users is currently one of the highest in Poland.
Work took place in 66 municipalities located in 16 counties and created the new network with nodes in 253 small towns and villages. As a result, more than 100 000 inhabitants across the region can today access broadband Internet.
To reach this point, local authorities identified areas lacking the infrastructure necessary for modern Internet services before a fibre optic network was built using the latest technology. The works also provided a platform for further development of ultra-modern access networks able to deliver very high-speed broadband to homes using last-mile technology. In fact, additional investment in the ERDF-funded Lastmile project is expected under the 2014-2020 programming period.
The Broadband Pomerania project has contributed to overcoming inequalities in broadband access between large agglomerations and other more remote areas of the region. It has also helped to solve difficulties in accessing broadband for households, public institutions and businesses, especially in structurally weak areas.
A positive social and economic impact
Access to broadband services facilitates communication, work and education, all of which has a positive impact on the social and economic development of the region. Moreover, as the network meets the latest technological standards, it represents an important step towards achieving the objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe.
In the past, levels of broadband use in Pomorskie have been lower than in some other parts of Poland. The percentage of people using broadband stood at 6.2 % in 2009, compared to 16 % in the Mazowieckie voivodeship, the highest in the country.
Savings can accrue from greater broadband access in a number of areas. E-learning reduces costs of training organisation and teleworking cuts expenditure linked to travel and office space, while settling administrative matters and making payments online are also more cost-effective. In these areas, it is estimated that Broadband Pomerania could lead to savings of somewhere in the region of EUR 100 million.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Broadband Pomerania - building backbone-distribution network in Pomorskie” is PLN 137 498 010 (approx. EUR 32 758 071), of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing PLN 36 115 000 (approx. EUR 8 730 811) from the Operational Programme “Pomerania” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.