Internet for all: the government doubles the aid allocated for access to “good broadband”

The government has decided to double the amount of subsidies allocated to accelerate the adoption of very high speed, and to quadruple it subject to means testing.

The objectives of the State in terms of the Internet are high, ambitious, perhaps too much. The government wants to guarantee all French people very high speed at 30 Mbit/s before the end of 2022, at least 80% of which via fiber optics, which must be generalized before the end of the year. 2025. But over the past six months, the deployment of fiber has accelerated further, at a rate of 20,000 premises made connectable every day, for a total of 28.3 million according to the latest known data, i.e. 67% of the total of premises. So, to further strengthen access to very high speed for the French, the government has decided to expand its “Digital cohesion of territories” system. Let’s see what it consists of.

Aid doubled this spring, which can go up to 600 euros

The system consists of a counter that allows eligible individuals and businesses to benefit from financial support, which takes the form of covering part of the cost of access to a wireless very high-speed solution, which it is a satellite network, fixed 4G and 5G and very high speed radio, which requires the installation of an antenna placed on the building to be connected.

The government is granting a subsidy of 150 euros, the amount of which will be doubled from 1^er April, rising to 300 euros for very high-speed Internet offers. Under conditions of resources, this aid could reach 600 euros. It covers the cost of equipping, installing or commissioning the chosen wireless solution.

In each metropolitan and overseas department, several local and national operators offer “Digital Cohesion” labeled offers for wireless Internet access. The individual or the company can then contact the one of his choice, to favor the best solution.

On a dedicated website, the State makes it possible, for each municipality, to discover the solutions offered and the corresponding technology (local radio loop, satellite or fixed 4G/5G).

Already 2,000 digital advisers deployed on the territory

The government also took stock of the progress of the recruitment and work of its digital advisers, who are part of the France Relance plan. Of the 4,000 advisers that the State wishes to recruit and train, 2,000 have already been deployed, and we are told that 100,000 French people have benefited from digital support since the summer. The mechanism starts slowly but surely.

These first 2,000 advisers, supposed to support some 13 million French people potentially affected by the “digital divide”, have taken up their positions in various private and public structures. The other 2,000 advisors are currently being recruited and trained. The state announces that they should be operational in the field by June. An interactive map is available online to help French people motivated by the idea of ​​acquiring digital autonomy to easily find the adviser closest to their home or business.

” Equal access to digital is the gateway, the basis on which rests all the digital policies that we carry out in terms of innovation, technological development, etc. Without access to digital, whether in terms of skills or uses, our country will not be able to realize its full digital potential. warns Cédric O, the Secretary of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communications.