New generation access plan to provide internet for everyone

Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania prepared the New Generation Access Network Plan for the period 2014-2020, which in terms of state intervention will provide the basic new generation broadband infrastructure in areas where no adequate broadband infrastructure was available.

“During the implementation period, we will deploy the basic broadband infrastructure such as fiber-optic lines and telecommunication towers i.e. invest in infrastructure rather than directly in services. In order to make this investment economically feasible and avoid possible duplication of existing lines, Lithuanian authorities consulted with the major communication operators and adjusted the routes and locations”, said Tomas Karpavičius, Chancellor of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.

The New Generation Access Network plan will stimulate infrastructure-based competition. The aim of the national plan is to reach the goal of EU initiative on Digital Agenda and, by 2020, provide all Lithuanian residents a 30 Mbps or above internet speed connection.

Tomas Karpavičius underlined that, contrary to mistakenly assumed idea, the goal of the national plan is not to fully cover the territory, but provide access to broadband services to all households.

In order to implement the national plan, it is planned to build fiber-optic lines, and, in the areas with few people or distant households, telecommunication towers. State will not complete with commercial operators; therefore, all telecommunication operators will be able to use the provided infrastructure on equal terms.

For the activities of the priority Promoting Information Society of 2014-2020 European Union Structural Assistance Action Programme, about EUR 287 million (about LTL 1 billion) are provided. Around EUR 144 million, that is 50 percent of all funding, are expected to be used in the period of 2015-2017.