Finland's Minister of Communications Suvi Lindén supports the political guidelines presented by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso for the mandate of the next European Commission.
President Barroso addressed the European Parliament on 3 September. He stressed the need for broadband networks in creating new business opportunities and new jobs.
President Barroso said that the next Commission will develop a European Digital Agenda accompanied by a targeted legislative programme to tackle the main obstacles to a genuine digital single market, promote investment in high-speed Internet and avert an unacceptable digital divide.
Minister Lindén says that the Finnish Government's broadband policy is in line with President Barroso's guidelines.
"I agree with President Barroso on the opportunities provided by broadband and I welcome the guidelines he presented. I hope that in the same spirit the Commission's notification procedure for national broadband projects will be swift. This is the only way the political will can bring real results", she says.
In December 2008 the Finnish Government adopted a Resolution with the aim of making very high-speed broadband available to nearly all Finns by 2015. In terms of most sparsely populated areas, the attainment of the goal also calls for public investment.
The purpose of Finland's broadband action plan is that broadband projects in sparsely populated areas could be financed with private funds and with state, municipal and EU money.
The Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently preparing a legislative proposal on providing aid for broadband construction. Broadband aid is a business subsidy that is subject to the European Commission's approval.
