Switzerland will invest millions to expand rural internet access
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The Swiss Federal Council plans to promote faster internet access in rural areas by investing up to 730 million Swiss francs.
Following a consultation period, the council approved a message for the amended Broadband Promotion Law and sent it to Parliament for a decision. The Gigabit Strategy aims to provide buildings in sparsely populated areas with fast fixed-line connections of at least one gigabit per second.
Currently, around 24 percent of buildings in Switzerland lack access to this speed, as they are not connected with either fiber optic or modern cable networks. Fiber optic network coverage reached 50 percent of buildings in 2024, falling behind the 69 percent coverage seen in the European Union. The Federal Council stated the need for action is urgent because Swisscom intends to gradually decommission older copper networks starting in the 2030s.
Without government support, approximately 10 percent of Swiss households and businesses risk being left without fast internet, as private providers may not find it profitable to expand fiber optic networks to these areas. The proposed program allocates up to 365 million francs from future mobile network concession fees, with the remaining funds coming from the affected cantons, who may pass costs onto municipalities. Municipalities will apply for funding to cover the economic gap in unprofitable expansion projects.
The program should begin one year after the law takes effect.
