MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Natia Turnava held a meeting with the representatives of the World Bank to discuss the ongoing and upcoming plans of the Log in Georgia project.

Development of the optical infrastructure within the project, as well as the results achieved and further steps were covered during the conversation. The parties also talked about the maximizing the potential of Georgia as a digital hub.

Following the meeting, Natia Turnava noted that the Internetization program, which is being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank, is rapidly developing.

“We have completed the construction of fibre-optic infrastructure for high-speed Internet in the Ozurgeti Municipality. The next pilot region is Kobuleti, where the process is underway. A ToR has also been announced for the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Regions. According to the plan, the construction of fibre-optic infrastructure will continue so that our citizens can use high-quality internet in different villages and highland settlements. It is very important for creating of new jobs, generating better opportunities and education for our youth and encouriging them to stay in their own villages,” – Natia Turnava commented.

According to the World Bank spokesman, Charles Hurpy, the Bank is pleased with the progress of the project.

“We are pleased with the progress and how the infrastructure has developed over the past year. This very interesting and ambitious program ensures digital inclusion in the region. The goal of the project is to provide digital services, digital inclusion in the villages of the regions of the country where there is no access to the Internet today,” – the representative of the World Bank, Charles Hurpy commented.

Under the state program of universal internetization, at the current stage, the construction of the network has been completed in the Ozurgeti Municipality, where 140 km of the fibre-optic infrastructure has been provided. Under the project, the service is already provided to local operators and they are actively registering and connecting population to the network.

Construction is almost accomplished in the Kobuleti Municipality, which includes the construction of a 50 km highway to cover 13 settlements and 10 500 inhabitants.

As part of the Log in Georgia project, the construction of fibre-optic network across the country is planned in up to 1000 settlements (including highland villages), which will benefit about 500 000 people.