730 million francs to bring fast internet to all of Switzerland

The Federal Council adopted on Wednesday the dispatch for expanding Switzerland's broadband network. The text, titled “Fast internet across Switzerland”, aims to offer the same digital opportunities to people living in the country's less populated regions, guaranteeing them a connection speed of at least one gigabit per second, the same threshold that today characterizes the most modern networks.

The project stems from a technological shift already under way. Copper cables, still widely used today for internet connections, will be gradually decommissioned over the decade starting in 2030. Fibre optics and other modern technologies are meant to take their place, playing an increasingly central role in connecting households and businesses across the country, from major urban centres to more outlying areas.

The Federal Council warns that, without state support, this transition could open gaps in coverage. Estimates indicate that around 10% of households and businesses in Switzerland would risk being left without a connection to a modern broadband network, with the gap likely to widen precisely in the areas that are already less well served.

730 million francs split between the Confederation and the cantons

To avoid this scenario, the programme presented on Wednesday makes available support funds of 730 million francs. The sum will be financed half by the Confederation and half by the cantons, under an equal split between the two levels of the state.

The stated goal is to promote investment precisely in areas where a network expansion would not be profitable for telecommunications providers. In these peripheral areas, left to market forces alone, private operators would lack sufficient incentive to build the new infrastructure needed for a modern, fast connection.