France Plans 20-Billion Euro National Broadband Plan

Posted by timothy on Friday February 22, 2013 @08:52PM from the such-munificence-with-tax-money dept.

judgecorp writes "France is planning a €20 billion programme to get super-fast broadband to its rural population. About half the funds will come from government investment, and President Hollande believes the work will create 10,000 jobs. Half the population should have fast broadband in the next five years, and the whole country in ten years. France is at a disadvantage for broadband as it is a large country with a lot of rural areas. However, it also has a more left-leaning government willing to take on infrastructure projects."

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Re:Cool! by locater16 · 2013-02-22 21:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Because... France's economy can't support it, France has a huge public debt and far too much of it's GDP is spent by the government, with it's ultra restrictive labor practices fiber optics everywhere still aren't going to attract startups like Kansas city and Google Fiber, and large government projects such as this usually end costing far too much for what is paid for. Just for starters.