Goal The abandoning goal is to contribute to increasing the growth and competitiveness of companies by creating conditions for the construction of access networks for connecting companies. The goal of the project is to increase the proportion of companies with access to broadband with high transmission capacity in the priority areas. Implementation The project will carry out a strategic expansion of broadband infrastructure in rural and sparsely populated areas in Dalarna and Gävleborg, where there are no market conditions.The expansion is based on the county-wide survey of needs and public consultations in which locations/streets are established where physical investments for broadband are supportable according to the definition of broadband support within the Regional Fund. The localities in Smedjebacken and Nordanstig’s municipalities have been prioritised by the municipalities. The need map has been carried out in close collaboration with the municipalities to find the most optimal priority Business involvement Access to broadband with high capacity is a prerequisite for entrepreneurship and a large number of companies in the counties, such as in the manufacturing industry is located outside the urban areas. Another important and growing industry in rural and sparsely populated areas is the tourism industry with the natural culture and experience industry, as well as the food industry and forestry and agricultural companies. A large part of these companies are run by women. In the project, no direct connections to the companies will take place, but the construction of a local network is a prerequisite for the access networks and the connection of companies. Expected results and long-term effects Expected results after project completion are assessed, based on completed analyses, that the project concerns 95 establishments in the municipalities of Smedjebacken and Nordanstig. After the project’s implementation, these areas will be accessed by localised fibre and, ultimately, concrete connectivity opportunities for the companies in the area. In the long term, the project contributes to increased attractiveness, that more companies can establish themselves in the municipality and that existing ones can remain. Social economic results should continue to be valid for many years to come and investments will be refunded