European Recovery and Resilience Funds – Together towards the goal: better access to high-speed internet

According to data from the Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia (National Report on the Open Internet for 2026), nationwide coverage of households with next-generation fixed broadband networks has been is increasing. In 2025, it reached 94.1%, while in rural areas it stood at 80.7%, an increase of 5.2 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The development of broadband infrastructure in rural areas is hampered by scattered settlement patterns and low population density. Therefore, the state is using public funds – including European funds – to support the construction of appropriate infrastructure in white areas, i.e. areas where residents still do not have access to high-speed internet and where there is no market interest.

Within the framework of the RRP, the state has allocated digitalisation funds also to the development of high-quality broadband infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring the widest possible access to digital public services and thereby contributing to the efficiency of public administration.

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration is responsible for implementing the reform and investments.

Transition to a gigabit society – reform

The objective of the reform is to strengthen the governance of the digital transformation of public administration. To this end, the country adopted the Digital Public Services Strategy 2030. Its main purpose is to provide user-friendly and simple digital services, data to support better services and decision-making, and a secure and inclusive digital environment.

In this context, the Council for the Development of Informatics was also established. It guides the development of information and communication systems in public administration and contributes to the coordinated development of IT solutions and the efficient use of public funds in the field of IT.

The two milestones linked to the implementation of the reform were included by Slovenia in the second request for payment, which was fully disbursed by the European Commission in December 2023.

Gigabit infrastructure – investment

The objective of the investment is to enable the deployment of infrastructure for broadband access to very high capacity networks in sparsely populated and hard-to-reach areas. 

For these purposes, EUR 24.85 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) has been allocated under the RRP. Of this amount, the state has already paid EUR 19.14 million to the final recipients for the completed project activities. The remaining funds will be paid following the completion of the standard administrative verification procedure for payments to final recipients.

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration has received completion reports for all 32 projects implemented under two public calls for co-financing the construction of very high capacity fixed broadband networks and the upgrading of existing fixed networks:

• GOŠO6 construction of open broadband networks – includes 27 projects in the white areas of municipalities: Apače, Brežice, Cankova, Cerknica, Cirkulane, Divača, Gorenja vas–Poljane, Juršinci, Kobarid, Kostel, Kungota, Logatec, Miren-Kostanjevica, Pesnica, Podlehnik, Radlje ob Dravi, Renče–Vogrsko, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Šentilj, Šmarje pri Jelšah, Videm, Vipava, Vojnik, Vrhnika, Zavrč and Žiri;
• GOŠO6A construction of open broadband networks – includes five projects in the white areas of municipalities: Brežice, Cirkulane, Divača, Gorenja vas–Poljane, Juršinci, Kobarid, Miren–Kostanjevica, Podlehnik, Renče–Vogrsko, Slovenska Bistrica, Šmarje pri Jelšah, Videm, Vipava, Vojnik, Zavrč and Žiri.

The implementation of the projects will exceed the initially set objective of providing access to high-speed internet for 6,838 households in white areas. The projects will enable access to very high capacity fixed broadband electronic communications services for more than 10,000 households, primarily in sparsely populated and hard-to-reach areas. The projects will provide an upload speed of at least 100 Mbps and a download speed of at least 300 Mbps.

The investment objective will be included in the final (seventh) request for payment of funds from the RRF, which Slovenia will submit to Brussels no later than 30 September 2026.