Bulgaria allocates 240 mln euro for high-speed internet

The funds will be sourced from the EU-backed National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will be made available to the local mobile operators after a competitive tender procedure, the ministry said in a press release.

The plan includes the construction of 3,700 km of new optical routes, while over 1,800 km of existing cables will be replaced with higher-capacity ones.

In addition, 450 base stations will be provided with optical connectivity instead of radio relay. The mobile operators will remain in charge of the active ICT equipment in these stations.

A geographical survey and mapping are underway to determine the areas and specific locations covered by the investment. The next steps involve notifying the European Commission of the funding plans and opening the application procedure for the mobile operators.

The project will enable 400,000 Bulgarians and 140 municipalities in remote areas with limited connectivity to gain access to a high-speed internet connection of 1 Gbps through an optical network. Additionally, these areas will be covered by a 5G mobile network, the ministry said.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)