“POPC”: a recipe for success

Four contests were announced in recent years with a view to eliminate spots where broadband Internet does not reach. With the first-call projects already been completed, second-call ones are now nearing completion.

Today, there is some news from FCA, the General Contractor in the project “Ensuring fibre optic broadband Internet access in North Wielkopolska”, Project No. POPC.01.01.00-30-0068/17, Area ID 3.4.30.60 – PILSKI”, which has just been completed as part of Contest 2.

The work started in when the implementation agreement was signed in 2018. Since then up to the very end of the project on 18 February 2021 (although all works have been completed as of 31 December 2020), a network was built and more than 17,000 households and 80 education establishments were connected. We built a network of nearly 800 km (using over 3,040 km fibre-optic cables in the process!). Importantly, a major part of the building process took place during the coronavirus pandemic, which caused delays in some other projects. How did Covid-19 affect implementation of the project?

The success was based on meticulous investment schedule and budget control, as well as responding to all kinds of risks. This proved to be the key element, for it led to finishing most of the project documentation before 30 March 2020, when access to local government authorities became significantly hindered and the waiting time got notably longer. This let us continue our work (naturally, with all safety precautions maintained), while other projects were “paralysed”. The work on this project showed us one more crucial thing: the importance of intensive local actions. The current active cooperation with local government authorities and infrastructure managers is the key to, and sometimes even a condition precedent for success.

Our project team includes more than 50 people now. We are working on a number of projects. As part of the Digital Poland Operational Programme alone, we are implementing:

• 3 projects under the second contest POPC2 – in the Provinces of Łódzkie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Mazowieckie.
• 6 projects under the third contest POPC3 – in the Provinces of Łódzkie, Dolnośląskie, Śląskie, Mazowieckie, Lubelskie.

How did we make it from a producer and integrator to expand our competencies as a general contractor that implements large investments?

Our key assumption was to build a multi-competence unit with the organisation that would become proficient in running investment projects. Our model involves project management as well as implementation based on resources of our special purpose vehicle (Net4F). To be able to implement project in the best manner possible, we also acquired knowledge of network operations. Alias Company was established to become an investor and beneficiary of financing as part of POPC, and now operates its own telecommunications infrastructure. Thanks to this, we are among the few players in Poland who can show experience from both sides of investing (as an infrastructure owner and a project contractor). This unique approach is very valuable to our customers. We know what problems both sides of an investment face, and we know what their expectations are and how we can optimally reconcile them.  By combining all these elements, we have been able to develop a unique and comprehensive offering. In the eyes of our customers we are more than just a contractor, we are their business partner. The model based on experience as well as trust and full cooperation is well-proven, which is best demonstrated by the newly completed investment.