Broadband network inaugurated in Municipality of Hylte

The majority of the residents of the Municipality of Hylte, in southwest Sweden, will gain access to the municipality’s new broadband network just in time for Christmas this year. The build-out is basically finished and the network was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, November 23. The network currently provides broadband to 98 percent of the people living in the municipality. When the last stage is finished in the beginning of 2005, the broadband penetration rate will basically be 100 percent.

In June this year, the Municipality of Hylte signed an agreement with TeliaSonera Network Sales for the provision of a municipality-wide broadband network. Representatives for the municipality and TeliaSonera Network Sales officially inaugurated the network at an information meeting held at the Hylte municipal building on Tuesday, November 23. “Getting a new broadband network that provides access to so many residents is incredibly important to the Municipality of Hylte. We will be have the same broadband services as those offered in Sweden’s major metropolitan regions, which benefits both consumers and companies. The new network will also make our municipality more attractive as a place to move to and live in, and for companies to set up business,” says Jenny Nilsson, chairman of the executive board for the Municipality of Hylte. When the build-out is finished, all telecom switching centres in the municipality will be upgraded for ADSL, which utilises the existing telephone network and allows a very high broadband penetration rate. Switching centres are also linked by a fibre optic network with a very high transmission speed. Residents are free to choose one of the operators that provide broadband services to consumers and companies through the network. Depending on their choice of broadband provider, all households and companies located within a link distance of 3.5 km from a switching centre will have broadband with speeds up to 8 Mbit/s. Those located within a link distance of 9 km can have broadband with speeds up to 0.5 Mbit/s. The network is also prepared for future connections with much higher speeds. “Our offering gives municipalities a fast and cost-effective broadband build-out with a very high penetration rate. Hylte is yet another municipality in Sweden to get a broadband network with almost 100 percent penetration and we’re naturally very pleased to be the provider,” says Susanne Jacobsson, head of TeliaSonera Network Sales. During the past year TeliaSonera has signed agreements to provide broadband networks to approximately 75 municipalities in Sweden.