Summary

Bräcke municipality is situated in north-western Sweden. It is relatively far from big cities, and had insufficient digital infrastructure. Since neither the public nor private sector has any interest in or capacity for building broadband networks in the countryside, the development of the such infrastructures is undertaken by volunteer-run village groups.

11 village groups were formed in 2013 to carry out the development of a broadband network in the municipality of Bräcke. One of these groups, in the village of Östra Bräcke, coordinated the installation of a 150 km broadband cable to the east of Bräcke municipality and also organised meetings, adverts and big signs all over the area to inform the inhabitants.

Results

The project led to 272 connections to the broadband net.

In 2012 only 0,033 % of the municipality had access to the broadband net. In 2017, 90 % of the households will be connected.

Around 500 volunteers were engaged in the village group.