EUR 600 million to be spent expanding Internet access

The funds will be allocated for the construction of a fiber optic network which will belong to the governments of five voivodships: Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie. The voivodships themselves will invest EUR 45 million, while additional EUR 300 million will be invested by the telecommunications operators. The project is to provide broadband Internet access to 90% of households in eastern Poland by 2013. "It is almost certain that we will get the necessary EU funds, and therefore we begin the first stage of the project next month," stated Władysław Ortyl, the Deputy Minister of Regional Development. The first stage of the project will be the analysis of the broadband infrastructure in the eastern regions. In July the Ministry will also announce a tender for the feasibility study of the project. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9; Dziennik, Wall Street Journal supplement, p. 2) E.B.