Transform Digital Conference May 8th 2014London

Anne-Mari Leppinen

Public private initiatives to cover Rural Europe

Regions of South Ostrobothnia & SatakuntaArea 5000 km2Population 30 000Density 3-10GDP/person 32 000€

Benefits for the region

• Ability for people as well as businesses to survive in the countryside

• IPTV services have improved the poor TV-quality in some areas• The FTTH-network has improved the 3G/4G-coverage• Increased value of houses, growth in GDP, simply better quality

of life etc.

Can people live without proper internet connections???

This farmer on the left has f.ex. milking robots which are updated and controlled from abroad. Without fibre she would have to think about quitting…

• Deeper cooperation between municipalities

• Cheaper, faster, more flexible infra• HUGE SAVINGS!

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• Ensure that rural is equipped to play a real role in the digital future of Europe

• Ensure both services and infrastructure from deepest rural to biggest cities

• Unclear roles and targets, lack of cooperation and respect between stakeholders

• Minimize the digital gap from cradle to grave• Adoption of our societal behavior to the digital world• Understanding of rural elected representatives • The EC + other institutions must make more effort to

understand the rural context – this includes DG AGRI/Rural Dev where the overwhelming emphasis is still

food/agriculture

• How citizens and smes will use all the potential of those infrastructures

• Interoperability => matter of coordination, governance and agreements

Challenges

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ENGAGE POLITICAL MANIFESTO

Voice of Rural Europe in Brussels

Policy initiative from elected representatives of rural areas of Europe to ensure the needs of rural regions are heard and the ambitions & needs of millions of citizens taken into account

Target ensure that all the economic & social benefits of next generation HSB reach every corner of the continent

ENGAGE & POLITICAL MANIFESTO

11 partners and 9 European Regions working together to define the best economic models for developing Very High Speed Broadband Infrastructures in less populated regions

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ENGAGE SELFIE

Show your face & join your voice to ours, today!

Thank you!