Extremely rare, but they do exist: Advantages for the infrastructurally strongly disadvantaged border area of the Waldviertel. Due to the dissolution of the Lower Austrian Grenzlandförderungsgesellschaft, 2.8 million euros will be used for fiber optic expansion in five communities in the Gmünd district. Harbach mud bath is almost finished.
And the 721-strong community of Moorbad Harbach did not even exist in the Broadband Atlas Austria, says the mayor of the spa town, Margit Göll. They fought for the admission and the money for the expansion. With an assurance of almost 600,000 euros at the start, she then ventured into the 1.7 million euro project. The remaining 1.1 million euros will also be paid for with 65 percent federal funding. In the future, a fiber optic cable will lead directly into the house for almost 500 households, says Göll, who also supported the communities of Haugschlag, Reingers, Eisgarn and Eggern.
Further expansion planned
You have also received the EUR 600,000 pledge and are currently being implemented. “This means that the expansion with fast Internet is at least planned in every municipality in the Gmünd district,” emphasizes Göll, who feared “blank spots” in the expansion of fiber optics in the region, especially for smaller towns.