© Pexels/Tim Samuel
Today, having a fast and smooth Internet connection is essential. To work, to socialize, to have fun, to carry out administrative procedures or to obtain information… The Internet is an essential tool for everyone. To compensate for current inflation, the decline in the purchasing power of the French but also the digital divide that many people experience on a daily basis, the city of Nantes is committed.
From next year, 1,000 Nantes households will be able to benefit from a solidarity Internet subscription. At only 2.90 euros per month for 1 and a half years. The initiative is supported by Nantes Métropole and Nantes Métropole Habitant. It will concern 1,000 social housing units in the Port Boyer district in the north of Nantes.
So that everyone has access to the Internet
For 2.90 euros per month, the residents of Port -Boyer in Nantes will thus be able to benefit from a high-speed Internet connection (up to 10 Mbit/s), landline telephony and 27 TNT TV channels. It will be possible to choose options at prices that are always affordable.
Worldwide, almost 3 billion people did not have access to the Internet in 2022. Last year, 9,000 households in Nantes were deprived of an Internet connection due to the high cost of subscriptions. While the average price of an Internet box in France is ten times higher than the price offered by the city, the Internet remains a “luxury product” for many residents.
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This is the observation of Qoontoo, the operator responsible for equipping these thousand homes with the Internet. Created in 2017, this company strives to make the Internet accessible to as many people as possible. The FAI is aimed at social landlords, real estate developers, or even student and senior residences… Usually, the offer proposed is set at 4.90 euros per month. It is therefore logical that the city of Nantes thought of Qoontoo for its project.
In addition to an Internet offer at low prices, Qoontoo goes further by offering a digital platform for the exchange of services between tenants, a home maintenance assistance application as well as an application for optimizing the consumption of housing fluids.
Before launching this operation, the city has already carried out a free trial in 200 homes for 1 and a half years. It was a success, which pushed the city to deploy this project to more social housing starting next year. We imagine that the city could open this program to other neighborhoods. And who knows? A solidarity Internet offer like this could well flourish in many other cities, such as Lille, Lyon or even Bordeaux.
- In Nantes, 1000 social housing units will be able to benefit from #8217;a complete Internet offer at 2.90 euros per month
- The project will be launched next year for 18 months
- The city of Nantes has tested this offer for 1 and a half years in 200 homes
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