Eight bids have been submitted under the procedure for large-scale deployment of digital infrastructure, financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The value of the project is 468,857,652 leva, and the deadline for submitting bids expired on Friday.
On the same day, the National Assembly adopted the amendments proposed by MTS to the Law on Electronic Communications Networks and Physical Infrastructure. They simplify the administrative procedures for issuing acts by the competent authorities for the construction, maintenance, development and modernization of physical infrastructure for the deployment of electronic communications networks in existing roads, agricultural territories and hard-to-reach settlements. Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov thanked the members of the National Assembly for voting “in favor” have supported the implementation of this very important project under the National Infrastructure Development Plan. “In small settlements, life goes on without being illuminated by the achievements of modern technologies. If the amendments had not been adopted, we would have gone far beyond the permissible deadline for the implementation of the project. Now we hope to even finish it two months earlier“, said Grozdan Karadjov from the rostrum of the National Assembly.
The companies that will be selected will build infrastructure mainly in remote, rural and sparsely populated areas. At least 350,000 Bulgarians currently in digital isolation will soon have access to high-speed internet. Optical connectivity will be expanded and improved to 140 municipal centers. No less than 700 base stations will be connected to the transmission networks.
One proposal has been submitted for the Northwestern Planning Region, where 84.84 million leva are planned for high-speed networks. Two offers have been submitted for the North Central Region, where the budget is 61.08 million BGN. There is 1 candidate for the North Eastern Region /66.6 million BGN/, 1 for the South Eastern Region /78.72 million BGN/, 1 for the South Central Region /87.6 million BGN/ and 2 for the South Western Region /89.64 million BGN/. The deadline for evaluating the submitted offers is 3 months, and the final date for implementing the activities under the NPV is August 2026.