Even more Ukrainians in the de-occupied cities and villages will gain access to quality internet - 68 Ukrainian operators have received financial assistance for telecom projects. This will allow residents in regions where communication infrastructure suffered the most from Russian actions to work, study, and communicate with their loved ones online.
The total amount of grants is €700,000. Funding for telecom companies was allocated with the support of the ReACT4UA international cooperation project, financed by the Government of Germany and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The goal of the project is to create the best conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support innovation, and stimulate exports, which are paths to sustainable and evenly distributed economic growth.
"Small and medium-sized businesses are the basis for building a sustainable economy in the country. Grants for providers are an opportunity to continue working, restore telecom infrastructure, increase network resilience. And most importantly - to provide Ukrainians with communication even in extremely challenging conditions. We are grateful to the ReACT4UA international cooperation project and the Government of Germany for their contribution to the sustainable work of telecom operators and support for the Ukrainian economy," said Yuriy Matsik, Director of the Fixed Internet Development Department.
With this funding, operators will restore destroyed networks, purchase generators and batteries, and provide coverage to remote settlements, enhancing network resilience so that Ukrainians can stay connected even during blackouts.
A total of 113 applications were processed by the expert commission. As a result of the competition, the most projects will be 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 resilient to power outages and provides speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
Non-repayable financial assistance (grants) to telecommunications operators in de-occupied territories is provided within the framework of the ReACT4UA international cooperation program ("Implementation and Implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in Trade"), funded by the Government of Germany and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Grants have become possible thanks to additional funding from the Government of Germany. The program aims to support economic stability, recovery, and growth in Ukraine, create the best conditions for the development of Ukrainian SMEs, and support innovation and exports.
The strategic executor of the program is the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The implementing partner is the NGO "Office of Effective Regulation" (BRDO) with the support of the organizer and key partner, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
