Bulgaria’s capital city, Sofia, will be blanketed in fiber-to-the-home broadband by the year 2014, according to Bulgarian Internet provider EVO.bg.  The company is investing $860 million to roll out its fiber network, which it says will deliver some of Europe’s fastest broadband speeds.

“Our goal is to improve the individual experience and satisfaction of our subscribers by providing new high-quality services, and increasing network capacity,” said Rosen Velikov, EVO chief executive, in a statement.

A significant number of fiber projects in Europe are underway in the east, as countries like Russia, Romania, and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have decided a wholesale upgrade of their communications infrastructure is in order.  Just 20 years ago, some customers waited years for a basic telephone line to be installed.

Today, broadband demand is causing a usage explosion, and companies are upgrading their networks to meet the challenges customers bring.

Nokia Siemens Networks is a major vendor for the project, and is confident Bulgaria’s fiber future will deliver the best possible service for the country’s Internet users.

“Bulgarian citizens demand increased broadband access and new, convergent services – EVO is playing an important role in bridging the broadband gap,” said Nokia Siemens Networks’ head of central-east Europe sales Dietmar Appeltauer.

While AT&T is placing limits on their broadband customers, the people of Lithuania are celebrating news that the part-state-owned telephone company — Teo LT — is increasing broadband speeds for their customers at no additional charge.

Effective May 16th, Internet speeds of up to 300Mbps will be available from the phone company ISP – Zebra.

Teo LT has installed fiber to the home service for nearly half of Lithuania’s million-plus households, and expects to serve the majority of the Baltic nation with fiber within the next decade.  Much of the rest of the country gets DSL service.

With the speed upgrade, Lithuanians will be able to access foreign websites at the same speeds as international websites.

Lithuania is one of three Baltic states north of Poland, formerly annexed as part of the Soviet Union.

Currently, Lithuania considers its lowest quality light user plan 10/10Mbps, which it sells for a paltry $14.72 a month, for unlimited access.  But international websites used to arrive at much slower speeds under this plan — 1Mbps.  That’s why many Lithuanians chose higher speed offerings.  Now, for around $55 a month, they’ll receive 40/40Mbps service, potentially less when bundled with other products.

Lithuania sees fiber optics as their path to broadband prosperity, and seeks to retire copper wire DSL circuits as quickly as possible.  The company’s fiber network now reaches 86 percent of the capital city Vilnius, 95 percent of Klaipeda, 75 percent of Kaunas, and more than 50 percent of Panevėžys and Šiauliai.  The company, with its Swedish-owned partner Telia Sonera, has invested more than $140 million in building the network, designed to replace the country’s old copper wire telephone infrastructure now deemed obsolete.

Lithuania, formerly a Soviet Socialist Republic, declared its independence from the USSR in March, 1990 — the first Soviet Republic to do so.  Today, the country is a member of NATO and the European Union.  Lithuania has a long history of recognizing the importance of infrastructure tied to economic development, and has an extensive and modern transport system.  The country is treating broadband development much as they would treat roads and railways — as a long term investment.

The administration of President Dalia Grybauskaitė sees Lithuania’s future as a knowledge-based economy, and has restructured away from heavy industry and simple agriculture towards biotechnology and information technology businesses.

With the renewed telecommunications infrastructure, IBM built a major research center inside the country and last year Lithuania opened its first solar cell plant.  Lithuanians culturally are increasingly turning away from their former Russian occupiers and looking west, especially towards western Europe, Scandanavia and the United States.  At least one-third of Lithuanians have learned English a second language, according to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2005.

Latvia is celebrating today with the news it has the world’s second fastest broadband service, now beaten only by South Korea.

According to Ookla, which released speed measurement test results this week, the Baltic state in northeastern Europe achieved second place with a speed index of 24.41 Mbps, ahead of Moldova (21.63 Mbps), Japan (20.43 Mbps) and Sweden (19.95 Mbps).

Latvia has come a long way from its former days as a Soviet Socialist Republic.  The country declared its independence March 3, 1991 and adopted a parliamentary democracy.  Latvia maintains close economic ties with the United States and Scandinavian countries, and has rapidly sought its future within the European Community, distancing itself from Russia.  Today Latvia is a member of both the European Union and NATO.

Like other Baltic republics Lithuania and Estonia, Latvia has undergone a complete telecommunications transformation.  Out went the old Soviet-era telephone exchanges with antiquated copper wire, and in came optical fiber, especially in the nine major cities within Latvia’s administrative divisions.  Latvia’s economic planning heartily endorsed broadband service as a major economic driver, and the country and its citizens depend heavily on its broadband networks for entertainment, banking, business, education, and facilitating health care.

As a result, broadband is plentiful, fast, and remarkably inexpensive, especially in cities.  In rural communities, parts of Latvia still rely on older DSL technology delivered over traditional phone lines, but the country has plans for universal optical fiber as finances allow.  Meanwhile, widespread wireless mobile networks provide Europe’s least expensive cell service, with a charge averaging just four cents per minute to make and receive calls.

Latvia’s dominant broadband provider is Lattelecom, co-owned by the Latvian government and Sweden’s TeliaSonera AB.  Its broadband packages stun the rest of Europe and North America.

For customers in Riga, Jurmala, Jelgava, Daugavpils, Valmiera, and Ventspils districts, fiber optic broadband delivers service up to 200 Mbps upstream/downstream for just under $26.02 per month.  At that price, they also include a guarantee that speeds will always be above 30/20 Mbps.

Lattelecom's broadband tiers. In order, in U.S. dollars -- $13.80, $17.29, $20.78, and $26.02, all without a service contract.

Lattelecom is also introducing a 500Mbps service shortly.  There are additional substantial discounts for expectant mothers, educators, and the disabled.  For those too distant to access the fiber network, a DSL package up to 10Mbps with unlimited telephone calling (including international long distance) costs $37.45 per month.

The Baltic press has run with the success story of the region’s broadband providers, especially in light of the continued decline in scores for broadband in the United States, which has now fallen to 26th place (10.15 Mbps), and the United Kingdom, 33rd (7.71 Mbps).  Canada came in at 32nd (7.92 Mbps).

The most dramatic improvements in broadband continue in eastern Europe, particularly in the Republic of Moldova, its next door neighbor Romania and Bulgaria.  South Korea maintains its world-leader status.

Among the worst performers: Haiti, Lebanon, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Mali, and Sudan.