Located in the White Carniola region near the Croatian border, the Slovenian municipality of Semič is among the proud winners of the first WiFi4EU call, which took place in November 2018. The WiFi4EU team spoke with Iva Konda, higher advisor for rural development and small economy in Semič, to discuss the benefits of WIFi4EU and the plans for the development of e-services.
The WiFi4EU initiative immediately seemed relevant for the municipality of Semič, where the Local Council has a strong focus on the wellness of the population. “For us, important programs are those that contribute to a better quality of life for inhabitants and help our citizens and visitors feel good in our town”, said Iva Konda. The benefits recognised to the project are not limited to the local level though: “in this way, all European citizens will feel that we live in a common space”, she added.
The WiFi4EU network in the municipality has been launched officially on 12 December 2019. The 12 hotspots located throughout Semič cover indoor at outdoor areas where both citizens and visitors can fully benefit from free high-speed Wi-Fi access, especially during events happening in town. The population welcomed the brand-new WiFi4EU network with great enthusiasm. According to Konda, “the citizens were incredibly impressed with the free and fast access to the Internet, especially when we announced to them that we would continue the project with important content for citizens and guests”.
Thanks to the EUR 15,000 WiFi4EU voucher, the municipality will be able to develop digital services for its citizens, following the trend set by Slovenia. The national government has in fact started a process of digitalisation of public services. eGovernment, eHealth, eTaxes, eReports, and eRecruitment are now part of everyday life in Slovenia and Semič wishes to offer the same services and more at a local level. “We believe that the continuation of the WiFi4EU project is about content relevant to our citizens”, commented the Higher Advisor.
The WiFi4EU initiative enjoys great success across the country: 155 Slovenian municipalities secured a grant during the three calls of the WiFi4EU programme, meaning that 73% of eligible entities in the country have been granted a voucher so far. The municipality of Semič is keen to encourage other Slovenian and European municipalities to apply and be part of the WiFi4EU community.