PR: RUNE broadband optical network also in the municipalities of Laško, Hrastnik, Celje, Radeče, Štore and Žalec
Ljubljana, 20. 5. 2024 – In the coming weeks and months the construction of the RUNE broadband optical network will also begin in parts of the municipalities of Laško, Hrastnik, Celje, Radeče, Štore and Žalec. Optical signals to users in the aforementioned municipalities will be provided by an active access node located in the Brezno settlement in the Municipality of Laško. The active access node was recently also visited by the representatives of the aforementioned municipalities, Mayor of the Municipality of Laško, Marko Šantej, the Mayor of the Municipality of Hrastnik, Marko Funkl and the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Radeče, Janez Prešiček.
Access to a quality and reliable internet connection is an indispensable part of our everyday lives nowadays. It makes business, education and many other daily activities easier. The company RUNE Enia is also aware of this, as they are building an ultra-fast broadband optical network in rural areas of Slovenia as part of the RUNE project. In the spring, they launched another project, which will build the network in parts of the municipalities of Hrastnik, Laško, Celje, Radeče, Štore and Žalec.
The first step towards implementing the project was the installation of the active access node to provide optical signals to users, located in the Brezno settlement in the Municipality of Laško. Company representatives also demonstrated this to representatives of the municipalities involved in the project, who are sincerely looking forward to the construction of a broadband optical network, mainly because of the importance it has for their citizens and the development of the municipality itself.
The Mayor of the Municipality of Laško, Marko Šantej, said that many parts of the Municipality of Laško do not have access not only to a broadband network, but also to basic internet. “Our municipality is not only an urban center, but also includes a large part of the countryside. Due to the provision of education for children and the introduction of work from home; the many young farm takeovers who decide to engage in supplementary activities, and the development of tourism in the countryside – all of these are key factors that naturally require basic or broadband internet. For this reason, I very much hope that this infrastructure will be made available throughout the municipality and that citizens of all generations will have access to a fast internet network.”
The Mayor of the Municipality of Hrastnik, Marko Funkl, added: “I am convinced that today, in the 21st century, this is a civilizational norm that needs to be addressed and I believe that competition in this area is welcome. So I am looking forward to this project and that people will be able to get this service in their homes very soon.”
The construction of the RUNE network routes will begin in June – in the Municipality of Laško it will run from the settlement of Brezno towards the settlements of Sedraž and Zgornja Rečica, and in the Municipality of Hrastnik towards the settlements of Marno, Dola pri Hrastniku and Hrastnika. It will then be expanded to other settlements and municipalities included in the project. The first users will be connected to the network towards the end of this summer. As part of the project, which includes parts of the municipalities of Hrastnik, Laško, Celje, Radeče, Štore and Žalec, a total of 9,243 addresses will be covered.
To speed up the work, the construction of the network between settlements (the so-called primary network) and the network to users and user connections (the so-called secondary network) will be carried out almost simultaneously. The work in this area is expected to be completed next year, while the construction of user connections will take slightly longer.
The inclusion of an address in the RUNE project can be checked on the website www.ruralnetwork.eu, where, simultaneously with the construction of the infrastructure, the connector can also be ordered. The cost of connecting to an optical connection according to the currently valid price list is EUR 250,00 (VAT included) for individuals or EUR 278,54 (VAT included) for legal entities, and at the request of the subscriber, this amount can be covered by the selected service provider. Users also have the option of choosing between all the largest operators in Slovenia.
About the project
The RUNE project in Slovenia is implemented by the company RUNE Enia d.o.o. RUNE is the first and at the moment also the only cross-border project at the EU level, which connects the territories of several member states with ultra-fast broadband optical infrastructure, which received funds from the private Connecting Europe Broadband Fund (CEBF). The latter is the majority owner of Rune Group S.A., which owns the companies RUNE Enia (Slovenia) and RUNE Crow (Croatia).
In early December 2019, the RUNE project was awarded the EU Broadband Award by the European Commission as the best project in the category.
More information about the RUNE project: www.ruralnetwork.eu
Additional information and statements:
Tina Ambrožič, Head of Public Relations
e-naslov: [email protected]