Swiss government proposes new broadband fund to expand fiber in rural areas
The Swiss Federal Council plans a broadband programme to extend high-speed fiber networks to sparsely populated regions where private investment is lacking.
The Federal Council has introduced a proposal for a broadband promotion act intended to close the gap in high-speed internet coverage in rural Switzerland. The initiative targets the deployment of fiber-optic connections capable of delivering download rates of one gigabit per second to both residential and commercial premises. The eight-year funding pool, which can be prolonged by a maximum of three years, will be shared equally between the federal government and the cantons, while municipalities must apply for support and the cantons must match the investment.
Financing will come from revenues generated by upcoming mobile-frequency concessions. The Council stresses that without state assistance, many low-density areas could remain without modern broadband, potentially affecting around ten percent of households and businesses.
