The financing model was uncommon: an example of public private partnership and a successful mix of managing different financial sources. Private investors were invited and offered the company’s shares in return for financial contributions. As a result, two private companies (INEA S.A. and ASTA-NET) became the shareholders. Contributions from private shareholders and EU funding (ERDF) were combined to build the network. The European Union contributed 85% of the initial project budget through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project included the construction of a broadband backbone network and a distribution network with backbone nodes and distribution nodes all over Wielkopolskie Voivodship.
The Construction of the Wielkopolska Broadband Network was of strategic importance in the process of building an information society in Wielkopolska: it improved the region’s competitiveness, reduced “brain drain” (i.e. economic migration of the educated young people) and made it possible to build a knowledge-based economy. The fundamental goal of the project was to ensure internet access to residents in areas with no access at all or where there was no sufficient competition to allow the residents to choose a suitable offer. This project is a good example of successful implementation of managing EU Structural Funds, private and regional funding together. The infrastructure that was put in place is open for all operators.
"With this project we ensured access possibility of the broadband network for the 3.5 million residents of the Wielkopolska Region." - Monika Klimecka, Chair of the Wielkopolska Broadband Network.