EC approves EUR 57 million investment in RO-NET project

European Commission (EC) has approved an investment of EUR 57.1 million, part of the RO-NET project toting up EUR 69 million, for the development of a 3265 km broadband infrastructure. The project is targeting areas lacking  access or distribution electronic communications’ networks.

RO-NET project will cover 783 of the 2268 localities identified in Romania as “white areas” and will help reduce the digital disparity between urban and rural areas by providing broadband Internet access to approximately 130.000 households with 400.000 residents, 8.500 businesses and 2.800 public institutions.

In early July, the Information Society Ministry chose as winning bids the offers of Romtelecom and Cosmote, which now operate under Telekom brand, for the concession of RO-NET networ construction works, the contract amounting to RON 365.8 million, VAT included (EUR 83.1 million).

The project is to be implemented by the end of 2015. RO-NET project will complete the telecommunications infrastructure belonging to the existent operators from the afferent areas and will confer open and nondiscriminatory access to providers of enterprises and consumers’ services.

“These kind of projects serve at creating better framework conditions for the business environment and citizens, and allow to the less developed regions of Romania to benefit from the opportunities offered by the digital economy,” said Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy.