📋 Tender Overview
All construction works related to the creation of the "middle mile" optical network in the regions have been completed and a 3620 km long optical network track and 459 track connection points have been put into operation, informs SJSC Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (hereinafter – LVRTC).
LVRTC has been developing broadband network since 2012, implementing the project "Improving access to electronic communications infrastructure in rural areas", which is co-financed by the European Union. In total, LVRTC has invested a little more than 10 million euros in the construction of the network over ten years, as well as received European Union co-financing in the amount of 65.2 million euros.
The network in the regions of Latvia has been built in places where electronic communications merchants did not plan to build their infrastructure due to the low population density and high construction costs. In total, these are 312 "white" areas. The smart network architecture allows operators who use and will still use the network to reach around 136,620 households.
"Our task was to create conditions for the development of services of electronic communications merchants, which means not only fast Internet for the inhabitants of the region, but also an opportunity to develop e-commerce, to build modern production facilities where the work of equipment is monitored or operated also using powerful data transmission, as well as to work or study remotely, living in the Latvian countryside. A wide team of specialists was involved in the implementation of the project, who not only ensured that the construction of the network took place in a timely manner and in accordance with the budget, but also supervised the network planning so that it met the needs of merchants and residents as much as possible," emphasizes ?irts Ozols, Chairman of the Board of LVRTC.
LVRTC has an obligation to provide any electronic communications merchant who wishes to provide services to residents with the opportunity to rent a network and connect to the established connection points or create new connections in places where it is more profitable for the operator.
Currently, 14 electronic communications operators have leased just over 6400km of optical network. Nine of them are regional operators, two national and three mobile operators. For the convenience of mobile operators, connection points have been established in 65 mobile towers. Almost a third of them are in Latgale. The network is most widely used by operators in Vidzeme, where 2235km of optical network are rented. It is followed by Zemgale and Latgale. In both planning regions, the volume of leased network has doubled over the past year, reaching 1644km and 1294km of optical network, respectively.
Operators use the optical network most widely in Bauska county, followed by Madona county, which for several years was the leader in the number of leased network kilometers. More than 500km of optical network is rented in Talsi and Rezekne counties, but almost 500 – in Valmiera and Dobele counties.
In order to make the conditions for using the constructed network as attractive as possible for electronic communications merchants, the network rental tariff has been significantly reduced for two years now and currently the rent for one kilometer is 10 eur / km per month. In assisted areas where the number of inhabitants per km leased is less than 20 and no agreement on the use of the service has been concluded in the last 36 months or more, a 30% discount is applied to the network rent. A broadband network project is a non-profit project and the network rent consists only of its maintenance costs.
