📋 Tender Overview
The Committee also considered a proposal for a regulation establishing rules for the faster, cheaper and more efficient roll-out of gigabit networks for electronic communications in the European Union.
Questions from the members of parliament Eva-Maria Himmelbauer (ÖVP), Andreas Kollross (SPÖ), Süleyman Zorba (Greens) and Douglas Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff to State Secretary Tursky concerned the status of the negotiations, the Austrian position and possible support measures for the creation of broadband infrastructure in residential construction.
From a technological point of view, the expansion of high-speed networks is necessary and state-of-the-art, Tursky said. The idea of harmonisation is also to be welcomed in principle, but different systems in the Member States must be given due consideration. It had been possible to resolve points of conflict in this regard, which was important for Austria in the negotiations, said Tursky. When building new buildings, the "last mile" is always the most difficult and expensive aspect, i.e. the question of how to get the cable into the living room. For this reason, there is a need for forward-looking infrastructure planning and connection points that enable access for different providers in residential construction, Tursky emphasized. So far, there are no plans for subsidies for housing construction in this regard, as the ordinance is not expected to come into force for another 12 to 24 months.
