A new programme has been proposed to connect unserved areas but only plans to invest half of the funding estimated as necessary to reach nationwide coverage
The Swiss Government is consulting on its proposed programme to expand gigabit coverage across the country
On 14 March 2025, the Swiss Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM) launched a consultation on a programme to expand high-speed internet throughout Switzerland. This programme comes as a part of a draft bill entitled the Broadband Promotion Act (BPA). In particular, the consultation focuses on the bill’s proposed temporary funding programme, which is set to allocate CHF750m (£656.8m) to local governments, encouraging operators to deploy new fibre infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. OFCOM explains that while operators will still be largely responsible for the rollout of gigabit-capable infrastructure, this programme can act as a “kickstart” for rural areas, which are typically less likely to receive operator investment.
Public funding would be split equally between the Federal Government and the 26 Swiss cantons
The funding programme is only temporary and is planned to last seven years, though the Federal Council has the option to extend this by three years if the allocated funding has not yet been exhausted. Half of the funding is to be provided by the Federal Government, paid for by spectrum licence fees, and the other half by the 26 Swiss cantons. The draft bill also sets out a number of conditions to be met in order for federal funds to be allocated to certain regions and project developments, including:
The passive infrastructure being used must serve the expansion of fibre networks or terrestrial radio systems and ensure fixed connections inside buildings with minimum download speeds of 1Gbps;
The relevant canton must contribute 50% of the funding allocated;
The tenderer selected to construct new networks must not be on OFCOM’s list of providers that have violated their notification obligations (this list is yet to be published); and
The local government applicant and selected tenderer must offer or use suitable infrastructure for network sharing (the Federal Council will regulate this shared use and the determination of compensation paid to the tenderer by other providers).
The proposed legislation will require fair infrastructure sharing and will be regulated by ComCom if disputes over access arise
The draft bill also sets out the Swiss Government’s provisions to ensure that any subsidised infrastructure is open to shared use from other operators. This has been a key issue for the Government for some time now, with the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) previously fining SwissCom CHF18m (£15.6m) for an anti-competitive approach to network building that made it harder for alternative operators to use its networks. COMCO also imposed guidelines on SwissCom, governing its fibre rollout to ensure that these networks are available for joint use by third parties, aligning with the draft bill’s focus on enforcing network sharing. The Government has proposed that operators of subsidised infrastructure be required to grant other operators access to their networks, which the Federal Council and Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) will regulate. The bill itself establishes some conditions for access such as transparency and non-discrimination requirements when granting access and ensuring that operators are compensated for access according to the rates set by the Federal Council. ComCom would be put in charge of handling disputes over access conditions, giving them the power to determine final conditions at the request of an operator or OFCOM.
The Federal Council’s original target of full gigabit coverage by 2033 looks unlikely to be achieved
Initially, the Swiss Government had only planned to make federal funding available for the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in 2028, but if this draft bill is passed before the end of 2025, funding will start at some point in 2027. This funding programme will go on for at least seven or at most 10 years, exceeding the Government’s original goal of achieving nationwide gigabit coverage by 2033, which was set out by the Federal Council’s Federal Strategy for a Very High Capacity Network in June 2023. This strategy also set this goal prior to COMCO’s ruling that SwissCom’s fibre rollout was anti-competitive, which the operator claimed has slowed down its rollout of new infrastructure. The strategy also estimated that CHF1.4bn (£1.3bn) would have to be provided through public subsidies to reach its 2033 coverage target. However, this draft bill only plans to make approximately half of that funding available, also likely slowing the rollout of fibre networks and making it less likely that the 2033 target will be met.
