5G in Poland? Ministry Wants Things to Get Moving

The Ministry of Infrastructure is working on legal provisions that will allow for the introduction of 5G in Poland. The goal is to have the entire country gain access to high-speed internet. The bill supporting the development of telecommunications services and networks is currently in the consultation phase. The new law is planned to come into effect at the beginning of 2019.

The most significant of the amendments concern the fees connected with laying optical fibre cables. The Ministry wants the fees for right-of-way occupancy to be no higher than 20 PLN per square metre per year. In this way, connecting villages and remote areas to telecommunications networks will become cheaper and more attractive. Moreover, the new law will impose an obligation to include telecommunications infrastructure in plans for new roads.

What is Govt Opinion on 5G in Poland:

According to government estimates, there are currently over 3.8 million households in Poland that do not have access to high-speed internet. In the upcoming years, this will change. Wanda Buk, Deputy Minister of Digitisation, said the ministry wants this figure to drop by 60% in two years. The Polish government wants to finance the shift towards new telecommunications technology through the EU’s Digital Europe programme.

5G in Poland is to foster the development of next-generation internet and mobile networks. Ultra-fast Internet will allow for the growth of the Internet of Things, smart cities and self-driving cars. Polish government officials estimate that the new technology will create more than 500,000 new jobs. The first Polish city to become a testing ground for 5G in Poland will be Łódź, where the local University of Technology and Ericsson teamed up to work on new telecommunications solutions.

5G in Poland is to be available commercially in the 20th biggest Polish cities across the country selected by the Office of Electronic Communications.