34,000 Algarve homes to get high-speed fibre optic broadband

More than 34,000 homes across the Algarve are set to benefit from a major expansion of high-speed fibre broadband, with the rollout focusing on the Barrocal – the central inland zone between the coast and the mountain range – and other rural communities.

Contracts for the project were signed on July 3 during a ceremony in Carrazeda de Ansiães, attended by the Minister for Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Manuel Pinto Luz, and José Apolinário, president of the Algarve’s Coordination and Regional Development Commission (CCDR Algarve).

The project forms part of a nationwide investment aimed at improving digital connectivity in underserved parts of Portugal, helping to reduce regional inequalities and improve access to fast internet services, the CCDR Algarve says in a press statement.

In the Algarve, the investment will extend very high-capacity fibre-optic networks to more than 34,000 properties, providing residents and businesses with faster and more reliable internet connections.

The improved infrastructure is expected to support remote working, online public services, education and healthcare, while also helping local businesses become more competitive and encouraging people and companies to establish themselves in inland parts of the region.

Nationally, the programme will bring high-speed broadband to 416,000 buildings across 288 municipalities and 1,967 towns and villages, benefiting an estimated 4.2 million people.

The project is being coordinated by the CCDR Norte (North), in partnership with Portugal’s other regional development commissions, as part of a national effort to strengthen digital infrastructure and promote territorial cohesion.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.