Ukraine To Build A 4g Broadband Network To Advance National Education
Published 15th Nov 2011 by Whites Communication

‘Open World’, one of five strategic national projects being presented at 16 locations worldwide, will see a new 4G (LTE) network rolled out in Ukrainian schools, providing direct Internet access to students, teachers and parents in areas surrounding over 20 thousand schools nationwide.

14th November 2011; Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine is moving toward even higher educational standards with direct wireless access for all students, regardless of geographic location or economic situation. The ‘Open World’ project will draw together public and private funds to build a 4G (LTE) network that will reach every student in Ukraine. The project will also provide access to a unique educational portal that will help centralise education in Ukraine, raising educational standards for those disadvantaged by location and providing a uniform curriculum under which all students can learn either individually or in collaboration with others around the country.

The ‘Open World’ project is just one element of a wider programme of 10 projects, five of which are currently being promoted in a road show in the world’s largest financial centres, aimed at securing increased foreign direct investment into the Ukrainian economic sphere. Each of the featured projects has been designed to provide long-term social benefits whilst offering investors secure and viable opportunities to enter the largest market in Eastern Europe.

Ukraine currently holds significant credentials in the education sphere, ranked 4th worldwide for educated workforce and 5th worldwide for number of IT specialists, and as such this project is designed to maximise Ukraine’s human capabilities. Recognising the social and economic importance of education, the State is offering a number of unique guarantees to secure the viability of the project, including: the commissioning of all feasibility studies, provision of required frequency resources, assistance in obtaining permits and licenses and guarantees regarding stability within the regulatory environment pertaining to the project.

By installing cutting-edge technology, Ukraine is future-proofing its educational system, potentially raising the competitiveness of Ukrainian education to its former position of second only to the UK during the pre-independence period. The current project is focused on providing education but it also holds potential for expansion into other areas such as e-voting, e-certification, e-tax administration as well as quicker response emergency services, traffic management and other functions.

“Ukraine has abundant human potential; ‘Open World’ is all about capitalising on that,” mentioned Vladyslav Kaskiv, Head of the State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine. “Through this project students will be given direct access to not only educational resources but also to each other and to the whole world – it is this open interconnectivity that will carry Ukraine forward into a prosperous future.”

The project will be run in the form of a public-private partnership with the State taking a flexible share of between 5 and 51%. Total estimated required investment for the 4G (LTE) infrastructure and the central educational portal is estimated at 350 million USD and 20 million USD, respectively. A further 80 million USD is required for equipping schools with computers to access the network (which will include a netbook-style device for every student); however, these costs are expected to be met by the State in cooperation with charitable donations.

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Notes to Editors

About State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine
The principal objective of the Agency is to actively attract foreign direct investment into the Ukrainian economy through a number of strategic national projects.

The National Projects are currently 10 strategic projects focused on main priority areas essential to Ukraine’s economic development. National Projects are guaranteed by the State and form an essential element of the broader strategy to encourage long-term cooperation with investors on projects of national importance. Designated areas of immediate priority include the diversification of energy supply, including emphasis on renewable sources and critical infrastructural updates.

In 2011 the Agency established the strategic programme for investment allocation, which consists of the following elements:
• Creation of a project marketplace – a comprehensive database of investment opportunities in Ukraine
• Active promotion of the most significant projects, both at local and industrial levels
• Creation of a one-stop shop mechanism through which investors can find direct access to the Ukrainian market

About InvestUkraine
InvestUkraine is a designated Investment Promotion Unit within the State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine. Its principal goal is to provide high quality investor services utilising the one-stop shop mechanism to provide investors with direct personal assistance and guidance throughout the investment process.

InvestUkraine has been formed to provide the maximum level of comfort to investors through the provision of all-round support and custom services. In order to provide these services InvestUkraine is equipped with an exceptionally well-qualified staff and extensive network of regional branches across Ukraine.

InvestUkraine is a:
• Simplified system of cooperation between the Investor, the Ukrainian authorities and the investment opportunity through the one-stop shop mechanism
• Governmental vehicle for direct investor support, information access and legal advice, high quality consultancy and project integration for strategic investors interested in investing in Ukraine
• Easiest and shortest route from business plan to operational business available to international investors

For more information, please visit:
http://www.ukrproject.gov.ua/en
http://investukraine.com/

For an updated scheduled of the road show, please visit:
http://investukraine.com/?page_id=794

For more information, please contact:

Ihor Kurus
Project Manager
Tel.: +380 44 254 4015
E-mail: info@ow.org.ua

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