Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Almost 900 km of fast Internet network are built in 53 sparsely populated regions and municipalities and provide access to the global network to thousands of Bulgarians, as well as an opportunity for development of small companies in the field of telecommunications, stated the Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Valery Borissov during the presentation of the successfully completed project "Development of high-speed broadband in Bulgaria through the construction of critical, secure, safe and reliable public ICT Infrastructure", funded under grant BG161PO001/2.2-01/2011/001/10.24.2012 of Operational Program "Regional Development" 2007-2013.

Deputy Minister Valery Borissov noted that the preparation of the project began five years ago. "The procedure conducted was completed without any appeal as 8 offers were filed. The contracts for design and construction of optical cable routes were signed in February 2014 - in the region of Northern Bulgaria with Consortium "SSV-TSV 2015" and in Southern Bulgaria – the Consortium "Broadband Bulgaria", he said.

According to Deputy Minister Valery Borissov, obtaining permits and collecting the necessary documents lasted twice as long as the construction of the networks for high-speed Internet. "We are therefore currently discussing the draft law on establishing networks for broadband access that will accelerate and facilitate each subsequent project", he said. The Deputy Minister pointed out that the objective is all municipalities in the country to be included in the network of high-speed access to the global network before 2020.

Valery Borissov thanked the teams at the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Executive Agency "Electronic Communication Networks and Information Systems" (ECNIS) and consortia - contractors for the preparation and implementation of the project. He highlighted the importance of cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, who financially supported the feasibility study, and the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and Operational Program "Regional Development", which has financed the project at the total amount of 20 million Euros.

During the ceremony ECNIS’ Director Krasimir Simonski carried live video call with the representatives of municipalities, local institutions and schools in areas already supplied with high-speed Internet.