World Bank plans to co-finance Georgia’s State Program of the broadband infrastructure development

The World Bank supports Georgian national strategy 2020-2025 regarding the broadband development.  For that reason, the Government of Georgia will be implementing the Log in Georgia Project, and intends to secure financing from the World Bank for the Project..

This project will cover different aspects in order to make the broadband internet more accessible and affordable for the regions that are lagging in this department, especially the rural areas. Improving such connectivity has become more critical with the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many businesses and households had to shift to digital ways of working. Main objective will be to support the State Program for the development of the Broadband Infrastructure, which is performed by N(N)LE Open Net by the Georgian Government decree #375 of 28th July 2016.

Log in Georgia Project plans to cover the following activities:

• Expand access to broadband internet in rural settlements across Georgia and improve the enabling environment for digital development. Activities include both the active and passive infrastructure of the project, support for the development of legal, policy, and regulatory instruments, and design of investment attraction measures included in the national broadband development strategy (adopted in 2020).

• Support the development of Georgia’s digital economy through a strengthened enabling environment, promoting digital use-cases of broadband, and addressing barriers to the participation of individuals in the digital economy. Focus will be on promoting the use of digital services for education, health, and financial services. At the same time, special activities will take place in order to boost the use of the internet and digital services by women, social minorities, and persons with disabilities in targeted settlements.