February 15, 2002--Snubbed by telcos and cable companies because it is in a sparsely populated area, Appingedam, population 12,000, might build its own infrastructure.
The northern Dutch town of Appingedam is considering constructing its own fiber broadband Internet network because cable and telecom companies appear not to be interested in the project.
Appingedam has 12,000 inhabitants and is situated in a thinly populated area of the country. Because of this, the area tends to receive little interest from infrastructure companies. Thinly populated areas in the Netherlands often have only Internet access with speeds not exceeding ISDN-level.
If the area council decides so, Appingedam will be the first Dutch district that installs a broadband network itself.
A consultancy agency has found a substantial number of people in Appingedam are interested in the town initiative. The network could become cost-effective in three to four years, based on a subscription fee comparable to commercial ADSL and cable subscriptions.