Government objective reached early: The millionth broadband connection opened in Finland

Finland is now a country with a million broadband connections. The millionth connection was opened during the Midsummer week in Lapua. The objective of reaching one million broadband connections set by the government broadband strategy was reached six months early. Broadband connections will be available to almost all Finnish households by the end of the year.

Chairman of the Ministerial group for the Information Society Programme, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, and Vice-Chairperson Leena Luhtanen, Minister of Transport and Communications, congratulated on Wednesday the Kattelus family for acquiring the millionth connection. The greetings were conveyed over a videoconference connection. The ministerial group, together with Vaasan Läänin Puhelin Oy (telecom company), offered the family a broadband connection free of charge for a million minutes. This makes a total of 695 days, or one year and 11 months.

In his congratulatory speech Prime Minister Vanhanen praised that reaching of this objective is a significant step in the process of realising the information society for all Finns. He pointed out that, in addition to the number of broadband connections, the focus must also be on the provision of high-quality, safe and above all high-volume contents and services to citizens and companies by using information networks.

Leena Luhtanen, Minister of Transport and Communications, was pleased with the realisation of the objective set for the number of broadband connections. - Now we must concentrate on providing quicker connections, promoting mobile broadband and stepping up contents and service production, Minister Luhtanen says.

Commissioned by the ministerial group of the Information Society Programme, the purchase of the millionth broadband connection was pinned down by the telecommunication infrastructure and digital television section of the Information Society Council, together with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA).

The Government issued a resolution on the national broadband strategy on 29 January 2004. The strategy aims at enhancing competition in networks and between them, promoting provision of services and contents, increasing demand and carrying on special measures in areas with not enough commercial competition.

In February 2005 the Government decided to raise targets set for the broadband strategy. In the new objectives, most connections should have the minimum speed of 2 Mbps by the end of the year. The aim is also to ensure that Finland remains at the forefront of Europe as regards availability and use of broadband services. Finland aims to be on the forefront of the world in the use of high-speed telecom connections by the end of 2007.

The Information Society Programme is one of the Government's four intersectoral policy programmes. The programme aims to boost competitiveness and productivity, to promote social and regional equality and to improve citizens' well-being and quality of life through effective utilisation of information and communications technologies in the entire society. The Information Society Programme aims to maintain Finland's status as one of the leading producers and users of ICT.

The Information Society Council is a negotiation body for steering the development of the information society and for coordinating cooperation between administration, organisations and business life. The Council is chaired by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The Council and its sections are composed of a wide selection of key representatives of the central administration, municipalities, organisations and companies.

Further information: Programme Director Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 9 1602 2363 or +358 40 8200 750 and Director-General Harri Pursiainen, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 9 1602 8389 or +358 500 787 742