One in five households can join Enefit's high-speed Internet network in rural
Enefit is building a new-generation fibre-optic cable network which today brings high-speed Internet and TV service readiness to nearly 80,000 households. Half of them have been built on the basis of a state support measure that lasted five years and reached a successful end at the end of last year. One in five households can connect to high-speed Internet outside Tallinn and Tartu.
‘Enefit has taken to heart the idea of bringing convenient and useful solutions to customers. The high-speed Internet connection allows you to monitor and manage smart home solutions, among other things: electric car charging, a heat pump or a solar power plant,’ claims Kelli Toss-Kaasik , Chair of the Management Board of Enefit. ‘The operator-neutral network we have installed will provide our subscribers with an ultra-fast Internet connection and confidence for the future. At any time, it is possible to choose a TV and Internet provider that suits your needs and wallet, and if desired, change providers,’ she adds.
In addition to the addresses included in the support measure, with an additional investment, Enefit created connection facilities for a number of neighbouring addresses that were not on the list of support beneficiaries. In total, nearly 67,000 households were able to join. The total length of the constructed communication lines is approximately 2,000 kilometres.
According to Margus Malv , Head of Communication Solutions Unit at Enefit, the project to build the network lasted five years, with the final stretch becoming quite tense in November last year. Despite the difficulties, Enefit fulfilled the promise made to the state. ‘In addition to the coronavirus waves that affected everything, delays in construction were also caused by the longer than expected processes of obtaining approvals and knowing for half a year that the state support measure could be suspended,’ Malv explains. ‘The commitment of the project team and the adherence to deadlines prove that we are reliable partners and I hope that we can demonstrate this again when participating in the procurement for the next support measures.’
Malv expects that work will continue for the fast Internet connection to reach even more homes. ‘This year it is planned to open subscription for an additional 4,000 addresses,’ Malv concludes. Enefit is primarily developing a high-speed Internet network in rural areas, where communication service providers do not reach when developing their network.
The built network is operator-neutral, which means that each household can choose the most suitable TV and Internet provider for themselves. The connection speed depends on the price package of the selected service provider and today ranges up to 1 Gbps. Technically, the Enefit network allows for speeds above 10 Gbps. In addition, the fibre-optic cable used is very energy efficient and therefore a suitable companion on the green journey. Compared to mobile communication, transmitting data via a fibre-optic cable requires thousands of times less energy. More than 20,000 customers have joined the high-speed Internet network to date.
Enefit is a subsidiary of Eesti Energia, which from 1 January 2024 is the provider of the energy products and services previously provided by Eesti Energia: electricity and gas, solar and storage solutions, household and public electric car charging solutions of Enefit Volt, insurance, high-speed Internet, electrical work and heating solutions. As of 2024, all Eesti Energia customers are Enefit customers.