1. Bridging the broadband gap in Auvergne: towards a 100% coverage
RegioStars Awards 2010
Bridging the broadband gap in Auvergne: towards a 100% coverage
Auvergne Regional Council Brussels

2. High speed broadband and white areas in Auvergne
A key factor of territorial competitiveness and attractiveness
Auvergne context
 Many rural and sparsely populated areas = market failure
 digital divide : A public intervention was needed !
Key points of the project success:
The public-private-partnership (PPP)
The technical solution adopted: NRA/ZO
A close partnership at regional level
A good communication on the project
Results of the project
 Citizens can choose their provider
 new lines eligible for DSL and 860 km of fiber optics that will be re-used for VHS broadband
 lines benefited from an increase in broadband
 99,6% of households get at least a 512 Kb/s offer (85% get 2Mb/s and 30% 20 Mb/s)
Budget: global cost = 38,5 M€ (exclusive of tax)
Auvergne Regional Council Brussels

4. The project partnership:
a key factor of success
Financial partners:
The French State : 4,8 M€:
Five local actors
 The regional Council : 10,6 M €
 The 4 departments : 10,6 M €
(Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haute-Loire)
EU : 10 M€  no ERDF, no project !
How worked the regional partnership ?
 A close cooperation throughout the process
Different meetings of the steering and technical committees at all steps:
to define the territorial scope
to agree on the PPP and the technological solution proposed by the contractor
to decide the sharing of costs ( 50% paid by the Region / 50% shared between the departments proportionally to the new DSL lines created)
Auvergne Regional Council Brussels

5. The project Communication
 Inform and provide assistance to citizens
A Hotline was created by the Region to inform citizens on the process, agenda, project details, providers available…
A website was also created to inform the population:
… and local authorities
The local authorities whose territory was concerned by the project were all informed about the whole process to enable them to inform the population
 Some examples of uses developped with regional partners…
« Social Internet », new Visio-Public devices spread in rural areas to facilitate access to public services, development of digital workspaces in schools
but ALSO…
Many local actors directly benefited from the new DSL lines eligible: farmers, home nurses, touristic units …
Auvergne Regional Council Brussels

6. Towards very high speed Broadband
Next step !
Towards very high speed Broadband
Principles of the future regional Scheme :
 an integrated regional partnership involving:
- the Regional Council - the four departments - the six metropolitan areas
 Favouring territorial cohesion and territorial equalization (between densely populated areas and rural areas)
Single out economical development
2 main priorities :
 « FTTH » (Fibre To The Homes) for business parks, schools, universities and public sites
 increase in broadband for individual and professional use, around business areas concerned with FTTH
Auvergne Regional Council Brussels