No digital divide between city and countryside: Bundesrat also wants fast internet for peripheral regions

class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>

The Federal Council announced on Wednesday that the entire population and the economy can benefit as much as possible from digitization. This enables fast internet for multiple users and multiple devices.

This should prevent a digital divide between urban and rural areas, it said. That is why the Federal Council wants to support peripheral regions and structurally weak areas with a funding program limited by the state.

This is foreseen in the report on the high broadband strategy approved by the Federal Council. With the report, the Bundesrat fulfills a postulate of the Commission for Transport and Telecommunications of the National Council (KVF-N).

Rösti’s department comes up with a plan

The focus of the strategy is on expanding the fiber optic network to the apartments. Promoting other technologies, such as mobile communications, is also conceivable, it said. Aid would only be granted if the market itself does not yet come up with an offer. In principle, according to the Federal Council, the necessary investments must come from the private sector.

It is not yet clear how the funding program will be funded. Financing from the regular budget or from income from future allocations of mobile radio frequencies is possible. Affected cantons and municipalities may also be asked to pay. According to the cabinet, the financing program must be implemented “economically” and “with as little use of resources as possible” by means of public tenders.

The Federal Council has instructed Albert Röstis, Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (UVEK) to make appropriate clarifications for the strategy and options for further action before the end of the year. (SDA)

Source:Blick