Orange Polska : Thanks to co-financing from the Digital Poland Operational Programme, by 2020 Orange will cover over 264,000 additional households with fiber optic network.

Orange Polska will build fast internet connections as part of the second application contest in Digital Poland Operational Programme. Thanks to the co-financing agreements which were signed today, fiber optics will reach over 264,000 households in 423 communes.The operator will also connect local schools.

In total, Orange Polska has acquired over PLN 616 million funding from EU funds to complete investments under the second contest in Digital Poland Operational Programme. The operator will assign for this project nearly PLN 220 m from his own funds. Orange intends to build a fiber optic network which will enable access to at least 100 Mb/s internet in 423 communes, located in 15 areas, including those of Chojnice, Gorzów, Słupsk, Stargard, Szczecin area and the city of Szczecin, western Warsaw, Szczecinek-Pyrzyce, Nowy Targ, Nowy Sącz, Jelenia Góra, Zielona Góra, Gdańsk and the Tri-City.

'It is the next stage of our investments conducted with EU funds. In Lubuskie and Pomorskie provinces where we have already built a core network under previous projects, we will connect the fiber optic cable directly to homes thanks to today's agreements. The development of the fiber optic network is our priority. I am pleased that together with the government we are gradually filling in the 'black spots' in those 15 areas with fast internet', said Jean-François Fallacher, CEO at Orange Polska.

As part of the project, nearly 2,900 schools will also be connected to superfast internet. It means that together with the investments which the operator will complete from its own funds as part of the Nationwide Educational Network, in the coming years Orange will connect optical fiber to nearly 7,400 schools.

The investment is expected to end in the second half of 2020. The network built under the project will be available to all the interested entities.

The investment will be completed with funds from the European Regional Fund as part of Action 1.1. 'Elimination of territorial differences in access to high bit rate broadband internet' in Digital Poland Operational Program.