“Broadband Internet access services are currently a top-priority for the European Union, especially in what concerns the penetration rate in the rural localities. Although these services registered a significant growth in Romania, during the last year – namely 136% – and the broadband connections number exceeded 1,750,000 by December 31, 2006, representing 54% of the total number of Internet access connections, the outstanding stringent issue refers to the access of inhabitants from rural localities, meaning 40% of the population, to broadband services”, the President of ANRCTI, Dan Georgescu, declared today during the Conference “Bridging the Broadband Gap”, in Brussels.
In the near future, the European Union will concentrate its efforts on diminishing the difference between rural and urban localities as regards the broadband Internet access services. To this end, it is worth noticing that the works of this conference are chaired by four European Commissioners: Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policies and Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for Competition.
At a European level, the highest broadband penetration rate is registered by Denmark – 30.3%, while Turkey is at the other end of the scale, with a penetration rate of 3%, while the EU average reaches 15.6%. Romania registers a 8.2% penetration rate, according to the statistical data report for second semester of 2006, published today by ANRCTI, on its website. The report is available here for consultation.
The Conference aims at conveying a strong political message regarding the strategic importance that IT&C should have in the use of structural and rural funds, as well as in the fulfilment of a synergy in view of coordinating the regional development policies. More than 600 delegates attend the Conference and discuss the ways the use of new information and communications technologies can support the regional and local development, how can certain geographic obstacles be overcome, and in what way can the infrastructure be extended in order to turn these areas into points of interest both for investors and for simple citizens.
One of the issues of major interest approached during the conference was the way Member States can practically intervene for the purpose of financing the projects of developing the broadband networks in disfavoured environments, without hindering competition or breaching the European rules regarding State’s help. The presence of decision makers at the level of the European Commission facilitated the elucidation of numerous questions and interpellations on this issues.