Rural areas in Serbia with around 90,000 households and 600 schools and public institutions will gain access to fast broadband thanks to a government digitalisation project supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and bilateral donors under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

An €18 million EBRD loan and a €1.7 million WBIF bilateral donors' grant will allow Serbia to finance the design and construction of fibre broadband infrastructure in rural regions of the country. The project is part of Serbia’s initiative to promote digitalisation as a driver of economic growth and to position the country as an IT development hub.

Currently, only 69% of rural Serbian households are connected to fixed broadband, compared with 85% in urban areas (based on data from 2019). This gap significantly hampers access to economic opportunities for a large share of the population. Covid-19 lockdowns around the world have demonstrated that high-speed internet is crucial to work from home, continue education at all levels, access medical and financial services or simply maintain communication with the external world.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic lack of broadband connections for rural schools had been identified as a growing problem for Serbia – one-quarter of all pupils attend a rural school and in recent years rural enrolment growth has outpaced growth in all other school locales. Without adequate high-speed internet infrastructure, rural schools and their students risk being left behind their peers in urban areas.

Mr Sem Fabrizi, EU Ambassador to Serbia: “Digital technologies are revolutionising the way we learn, work and live as individuals and as society. Each person needs the right skills, knowledge and confidence to benefit from the full potential of digital technologies. Lack of these skills, on the contrary, has a negative effect on employability and life quality. This ‘next generation broadband connectivity’ project will create the necessary preconditions for the social and economic development in the rural parts of Serbia without access to broadband network (so called white zones). Together with other members of Team Europe - the EU is proud to support the digital agenda of Serbia, particularly to give the new generations, the necessary education tools during the pandemic.”

Ms Zsuzsanna Hargitai, EBRD Regional Director, Western Balkans: “Being born in a rural area was identified as one of the factors for inequality of opportunity in EBRD regions, including Serbia. Creating better links – both physical and technological – between urban and rural areas helps to ensure better quality of life in rural zones and prevent the Serbian countryside brain drain.”

Mr Nikolaus Lutterotti, Austrian Ambassador to Serbia, WBIF Bilateral donor Community: “This digital infrastructure project is a crucial endeavor of the Serbian government that not only promises socio-economic gains in rural areas, but also facilitates a range of new opportunities in digital connectivity. The WBIF Bilateral Donors are therefore greatly pleased to support its implementation with a grant for technical assistance.”

Ms Tatjana Matić, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications to Serbia: "The ultra-fast broadband access will reach about 90,000 households in rural areas and will enable a completely new perspective for the population, especially for children and youth in those areas. Providing a modern digital educational environment and affordable digital services will enhance local capacity and economic development, contribute to regional development and connectivity and towards alignment with European legal frameworks and our accelerated progress towards European integration."

Ms Jadranka Joksimović, Minister of European Integration: "Today we are celebrating Saint Slava day, a patron of the education. I am more than happy that on this ocassion we are launching this important school project, to connect and empower the young people from deprivileged areas."

The WBIF project Next Generation Broadband Connectivity for Rural Schools in White Zones has been identified as a Flagship with the Investment window "Digital Future" in the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

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More about the project Next Generation Broadband Connectivity for Rural Schools in White Zones

More about the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021-2027

More about the WBIF Digital Sector

More about the WBIF Activities in Serbia

More about the WBIF Bilateral Donors

Photo credits: (c) EU Info Centar Belgrade