The high-speed internet project in western Lucerne is gaining speed again

The installation of high-speed internet in rural western Lucerne has taken a step further. 15 municipalities that are part of the Prioris network are carrying out their project with Regionale Glasphaser Schweiz AG as a partner.

The new company is located in Inwil LU, Prioris announced on Friday. It is a legally independent sister company of the Austrian BG Communications GmbH (BGC). BGC demonstrated in Upper Austria how a cross-community fiber optic network can be set up and operated.

To finance the fiber optic expansion, the communities involved and Regional Glasphaser Schweiz AG founded Prioris Projekt AG. This will finance and market the fiber optic network, the statement said.

The municipalities own 24 percent of Prioris Projekt AG. You invest a total of 6.2 million francs.

The report estimates that the total investment is in the low triple-digit range of millions. The majority will be financed with debt and bank loans, it said.

A one time contribution

Property owners would have to pay a one-time fee toward the development, Prioris said. The rate for a single-family home within the construction zone is 1,400 francs, for a single-family home outside the construction zone 2,600 francs.

With the Prioris project, communities in the Entlebuch, the hinterland and the Rottal want to provide the population and companies with fast internet. They justify their commitment by saying that expanding fiber optic in the region is not a priority for the major telecommunications companies. According to Prioris, 19,000 people in western Lucerne have only slow internet.

The project was suspended in October 2023. The planned referendums in the municipalities did not take place. The reason given at the time was that a new shareholder of an unnamed Austrian partner was blocking access to the market. The problem was apparently solved with the newly founded company Regionale Glaspaser Schweiz AG. The referendums in the municipalities are expected to take place from May 2024. (hkl/sda)