Bulgaria's NEK to Enter Telecommunications Sector

Bulgaria’s National Electric Company (NEK) is preparing a tender for remittance of part of its telecommunications network, the company’s CEO Krasimir Parvanov has announced.

“At present we use only 30% of our network and the rest could transmit digital television throughout the country, as well as 70% of the Internet,” the company has explained.

NEK has built a fiber optic network in parallel with the rehabilitation of its own grid.

The cables have been placed in the lightning-protected ropes of the larger grids. So far, the company has used them to transmit their own data in real time. The number of embedded optical fibers is 24 and the company uses six of them for its own needs.

“So far we did not need a license for such activities because we work for ourselves. We will also not need it when we begin to remit part of the network because it will be given to already licensed operators,” Parvanov said.

The phones and Internet of NEK are also connected to the system. The company has not yet completed its network, which currently covers 2880 km, which is one fifth of the Bulgarian territory. The transmission speed is 9,600 megabytes per second. The completion of the cables for the rehabilitation of the grid in the country is pending.