On September 27, the Breydel Auditorium in Brussels hosted the ceremony for the presentation of the European Broadband Awards 2022
The awards, which recognize excellence and best practices in broadband deployment projects throughout Europe, had selected 15 projects from all over Europe considered as success stories with an impact on improving connectivity for the population and rural areas, including two projects from Guifi·net: "Nordesde de Segovia (Nordesnet)" and "Erro Smart Valley", Navarra.
The awarded projects in the five categories were:
- "High speed broadband for all in Yvelines", France, winner of the first category "Innovative models of financing, business and investment".
- "Digital Nord Pas-de-Calais", France, winner of the second category "Cost reduction measures and co-investment". Category where Guifi·net was nominated with the project "Nordesde de Segovia (Nordesnet)".
- "Broadband Director Plan of Navarre 2016-2021", Navarra, winner of the third category "Socio-economic impact in rural and remote areas". Category where Guifi·net was a runner-up with the project "Erro Smart Valley", Navarra.
- "FTTB build up for everyone in Liechtenstein", Liechtenstein, winner of the fourth category "Demand generation and take-up of connectivity".
- "Broadband Deployment Project Sankt Nikolai im Sausal", Austria, and "Breitbandausbau im Landkreis Bautzen", Germany, both winners of the fifth category "Quality and affordability of services".
The event was attended by: Rita Wezenbeek (Director of Connectivity EU, Communication Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission), Mario Milouchev (Director of Strategic Plans II, Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission) and Jan Dröge from Schuman Associates.
Subsequently, the jury, composed of five members with a long and recognized trajectory in the sector, along with the Commissioner of Agriculture, presented the awards to the different winning projects of each category.
After the ceremony, the attendees, political representatives of entities and the finalist projects, closed the event with a networking lunch.
Here you can consult again the finalist and winning projects.
From the Guifi·net Foundation, despite not being selected as winners of the two nominated awards, we want to thank all those who have made this recognition of Guifi·net possible. A task of all those who day after day, help and collaborate together to make access to the Internet in rural areas viable through a more sustainable, collectively managed network, locally and at affordable prices.
For us, and especially for the selected projects, it is already a reason for celebration to have reached this point and be part of the 15 finalists of this edition of the European BroadBand 2022. It helps us to continue believing and working for an alternative network, fairer and more committed to people and the environment, a network that connects people, neighborhoods, towns and cities with the world.
From the Guifi·net Foundation, congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the European BroadBand 2022 awards for their work.
Guifi·net entre els 15 finalistes dels premis European Broadband de la Comissió Europea