According to local reports, Poland is struggling to meet its part in the European Digital Agenda target to provide all EU citizens with access to broadband internet by 2013, The country has been granted approximately €1.5 billion for the development of broadband infrastructure from 2007-2013 by the EU, including up to €300 million for the relatively underserved eastern region of the country, but is still largely underdeveloped in the ICT sector.
According to Alcatel-Lucent, the agreement signed brings together three companies with “knowledge of the specificity of the Polish market. The intention of the agreement is the cooperation with local governments in order to develop the broadband infrastructure in Poland”, said a company statement.
With EU threats of digital exclusion looming for the largely underserved Eastern Poland in particular, Alcatel-Lucent has also called on local governments to take a more active role in developing broadband infrastructure in such areas. A spokesman for the company said: “The openness of telecommunication companies to cooperate with local government, to share know-how and experience to reach the common goal, represents a new model on the Polish market.”
Alcatel-Lucent said it will help to resource EU funds by implementing broadband projects, covering phases of network design, construction and cooperation.
