At the current stage of development of the market and technologies, the following are considered as NGAs (assuming the fulfilment of the general characteristics indicated in this chapter): a) b) c) Access networks from optical fibre, Advanced modernised cable networks, Some advanced wireless access networks through which users can be provided with reliable high-speed connectivity. High-speed connectivity that differentiates NGAs from existing basic broadband networks is considered to be – in accordance with EU Guidelines and in accordance with the document Digital Czech Republic 2.0 – the reliable connection of users to the Internet with a real transmission rate of at least 30 Mbit/s in the direction towards the user. 3.2 Requirements on NGAs constructed with State aid NGAs that can receive public aid are understood to be25: • • New networks partly or fully using optical fibre as the transmission medium Modernised existing infrastructure of fixed access networks enabling Internet access and using optical fibre as the transmission medium, while at the level of the subscriber network it is also possible to use coaxial or symmetric metallic cable as the transmission medium, or here it is also possible to use advanced wireless technologies26. Newly constructed and existing modernised NGAs must meet the following conditions: 1. 2. 3. 25 26 The supported construction or modernisation of an existing network must provide users with high-speed Internet access with a real transmission rate in the direction from the Internet towards the user of at least 100 Mbit/s, possibly a speed of at least 30 Mbit/s if the increase to at least 100 Mbit/s will be possible by simply changing the active elements or modernising them, and this at the latest by the end of 2020. The real transfer speed in the direction from the user to the Internet must reach at least 33 Mbit/s, possibly 10 Mbit/s if the increase to at least 33 Mbit/s will be possible by simply changing the active elements or modernising them, and this at the latest by the end of 2020. NGAs constructed or modernised using public aid must provide wholesale access to the “physical” infrastructure constructed with this aid and – to the appropriate extent – also to the related infrastructure without public aid and to the data flow, thereby During the preparation of the National Plan for the Development of NGNs, it was shown that the definitions presented in chapter 3.1 do not fully cover the requirements the state will place on NGAs newly constructed and modernised using State aid. Hence, in cooperation with the professional public and academia, the definition of NGAs – also taking into account specific objective 4.1 of the OP EIC – was expanded to include qualitative and performance parameters that NGAs implemented with public aid should meet. The determination of these parameters was based, inter alia, on the fact that in the Czech Republic there is, compared to other EU Member States, a relatively higher population density in non-urban areas. The requirement for a step change in the parameters in comparison with basic broadband networks was also respected. In view of the anticipated need to modernise NGAs (primarily a further increase in transfer speed) in the period after 2020, solutions using optical fibre as the transmission medium appear the most promising. The achieved transfer speed compared to other technological solutions is in the order of 1000 times higher (and this when using only a single optical fibre), and it is also possible to achieve significantly higher bridging distances. Due to the anticipated need for NGAs in the period after 2020, solutions using optical fibre as the transmission medium appear the most promising. The achieved transfer speed compared to other solutions is in the order of 1000 times higher, and it is also possible to achieve significantly higher bridging distances. 13