The European BCO Network brings together EU Member States’ national and regional public authorities in charge of broadband deployment to exchange knowledge and good practices with peers, experts and European Commission representatives, building their capacity to bring reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity to all EU citizens.
The purpose of the initiative is to help ensure that all EU citizens have access to high-speed broadband, in order to allow everyone to benefit equally from the opportunities connectivity brings, for health, education, business and more.
Contact the BCO Network Support Facility to enquire about joining the BCO Network. Participate in the discussions in the BCO forum.
The role of the BCO Network
The BCO Network’s role is to support European Broadband Competence Offices (BCOs) in making this happen. BCOs are the national and regional public authorities supporting broadband deployment across the EU.
It does this through an annual programme, based on members’ needs, that brings together BCOs, experts and European Commission representatives to train and exchange knowledge, good practices and experiences in overcoming common challenges. Read more about the programme in the 2020 Activity Report and the 2021 Annual Work Plan Summary.
Latest news
This one-hour online workshop is dedicated to WiFi Installation Companies involved in the WiFi4EU initiative. Its objective is to answer their questions in order to help overcome hurdles and accelerate network deployment. This workshop is an important opportunity in view of the approaching deadline, which risks the loss of municipalities’ € 15,000 WiFi4EU vouchers.
The sixth season of the European Broadband Competence Offices Network's WEBseries will cover State aid and rural connectivity; 5G Communities under CEF2 Digital; the Recovery and Resilience Facility; the Guide to High-Speed Broadband Investment; an update on the Connecting Europe Facility Digital programme; broadband mapping and State aid; and an ex-post evaluation of the implementation of State aid measures. Registration is open to all members of the BCO Network. The agenda will be communicated to participants directly.
Mountain regions have much to gain from digitalisation and broadband connectivity. There is great potential for Smart Villages, SMEs, and access to online services in healthcare, education and much more. Mountain communities, however, face greater obstacles than most in becoming full participants in the European Union’s Digital Decade. Their remoteness, in terms of distance and topography, combined with smaller populations, make them technically and financially challenging to reach with broadband infrastructure.
In rural Latvia, an EU-funded start-up is using digital connectivity to promote healthy bee colonies and modern hive management. Thanks to €15,000 in LEADER funding covering two thirds of the total budget, Jānis Kronbergs developed the BeeKing app, which aims to help beekeepers – and especially newcomers – to learn from others, implement best practices and become more efficient. In this video, he explains the tool as well as its motivation, saying that “bees are very important for our nature, for pollination and biodiversity” and digital technologies can help beekeepers stay competitive.
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Big Picture
Increasing broadband network coverage is key for reaching the EU's Gigabit Society objectives. EU businesses, project managers, as well as local and regional authorities can find information on broadband best practices, financing tools, technological and business solutions, as...
Dig deeper
Find answers to common questions on the European Broadband Competence Offices (BCOs) Network.
See Also
Find current information on broadband development in each country, as well as national strategies and policies for developing broadband.
The European Broadband Awards is an event that recognises outstanding broadband deployment projects in Europe and highlights successful infrastructures.
To make high-speed broadband quickly available, the EU established a set of harmonised measures to lower the cost of rolling out broadband, through the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive.
The Broadband planning section, along with the Broadband investment guide aids municipalities and other entities in their planning of successful broadband development projects.