Even more Ukrainians in the de-occupied cities and villages will have access to high-quality Internet – 68 Ukrainian operators have received financial assistance for telecom projects. This will enable residents of the regions where communications have been most affected by the occupiers to work, study and communicate with their loved ones online.
The total amount of grants is up to 700 thousand euros. The funds to support telecom companies were allocated with the support of the international cooperation project ReACT4UA, funded by the Government of Germany and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Project goal
The project’s goal is to create the best conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support innovation, and stimulate exports, which is the path to sustainable and even economic growth.
Director of the Department for the Development of Fixed Internet of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Yuriy Matsyk
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the basis for building a sustainable economy. Grants for providers are an opportunity to continue working, restore telecom infrastructure, and increase network resilience. And most importantly, to provide Ukrainians with communication even in extremely difficult conditions. We are grateful to the international cooperation project ReACT4UA and the German Government for their contribution to the sustainable operation of telecom operators and support of the Ukrainian economy,” said Yuriy Matsyk, Director of the Fixed Internet Development Department.
The funds will be used to restore destroyed networks, purchase generators and batteries, provide coverage to remote settlements, and increase network resilience so that Ukrainians can stay connected even in the face of blackouts.
Results of the competition
In total, the expert committee processed 113 applications. According to the results of the competition, most projects are being implemented in:
- Kyiv region – 16;
- Sumy region – 13;
- Kharkiv region – 11;
- Kherson region – 6.
Among the winners, 50 companies use xPON. This technology is the most resistant to power outages and provides speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
Help from Germany
Non-refundable financial assistance (grants) to telecommunications service providers in the de-occupied territories is provided under the international cooperation program ReACT4UA (“Application and Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in the field of trade”), funded by the German Government and implemented by GIZ.
The grants are made possible by additional funding from the German Government. The program is aimed at supporting Ukraine’s economic sustainability, recovery and growth, creating the best conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and supporting innovation and exports.
The strategic implementer of the program is the German federal company GIZ. The implementing partner is the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) with the support of the organizer and key partner – the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
