The National Plan was under preparation for a long time. The first working version was presented to the professional public back on 30 September 2014. Public consultation was held at the turn of 2014 and 2015. Two interdepartmental comments procedures followed in the summer and at the end of 2015. This long preparatory period, however, contributed to ensuring that the issue in question was gradually comprehensively, openly discussed and debated by all the relevant and concerned entities. In the first quarter of 2016, the Czech Telecommunication Office initiated, through an electronic data collection system, the acquisition of geographic data on selected parts of the network infrastructure from entities operating on the electronic communications market. The entities concerned provided, inter alia, data mapping the existence of network infrastructure enabling the provision of services determined through parameters, including investment plans for a three year period, in accordance with the objectives of the Digital Czech Republic strategic document, i.e. connections through which it is possible to provide an Internet access service with speeds in categories up to 30 Mbit/s, from 30 to 100 Mbit/s, and above 100 Mbit/s. In a geographic breakdown to address point, data were also collected about the currently provided Internet access service in the given address point through this infrastructure. In the second quarter of 2016, in cooperation with the Platform of the Professional Public for the Development of Broadband Internet Networks organised by the Czech Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, four working groups were established focusing on discussing certain important parts of the National Plan for the Development of Next Generation Networks, and particularly on the subsidy policy, nonsubsidy support, i.e. on legislative and regulatory aspects, the wholesale offer and the definition of next generation access networks and the related technical parameters. The outputs from these working groups were incorporated into the National Plan to a reasonable extent. These working groups included over 40 experts from the commercial sector, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Czech Telecommunication Office. The National Plan for the Development of Next Generation Networks is effective from the date of its adoption by the Government of the Czech Republic in 2016. Due to the timeframe of its implementation as stipulated in chapter 10.2, the validity of this document is expected to end in 2023. 8