An equally developed advanced e-infrastructure is an essential prerequisite for residents of Lithuania to employ information and communication technologies (ICTs) as well as ample resources of electronic content, and for business to develop their operations successfully and foster competitiveness. At present in Lithuania profound differences remain in terms of availability of an advanced information infrastructure for residents in different locations: 99 percent of cities and only 16 percent of residents in rural areas have access to broadband e-services.

Firstly, due to a relatively small number of potential subscribers, scattered townships and expensive construction works, the rural areas of Lithuania do not seem attractive for business investments in the broadband electronic communications infrastructure, which results in certain “white areas” in the country and greater difference between possibilities of residents in urban and rural areas to employ advanced ICTs. For the past 5 years the investments for creation of the broadband communications infrastructure in rural areas have been insufficient as commercial entities and operators find rates of return unacceptable. This fact is supported by the available data on the infrastructure objects owned by the operators performing in the market: their towers and fixed communication lines where base and fixed communications stations are constructed do not have connection of sufficient bit rate with available networks, which limits provision of broadband communications services from such objects.

Secondly, various communications operators in the greater part of the country have developed a sufficient “last mile” infrastructure for provision of broadband communications services. The main obstacle preventing commercial operators to provide broadband communications services of high quality via such infrastructure segments to all residents and organisations of rural areas is the missing part of the network infrastructure, which by connection of sufficient bit rate could integrate the infrastructure segments of the operators. Construction of various parts of the missing infrastructure requires vast investments. Moreover, if different operators constructed separate infrastructures, they would be used inefficiently.

The key objective of this project is to develop an infrastructure of electronic networks, which would allow public administration institutions and organisations of the rural part of the country as well as all the interested SMEs and the population employ the broadband internet access for reasonable charges, providing good opportunities to reduce the digital divide in the country. The broadband communications infrastructure will be developed only in rural areas, which do not have commercial initiatives in this sector, and it will entirely comply with all the principles of open access and technological neutrality.

The Development Strategy of the Broadband Infrastructure of Lithuania for 2005-2010 (the Broadband Strategy), approved by Resolution No. 1231 dated 16 November 2005 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania understanding benefits of the broadband communications, provided prerequisites for preparation and implementation of broadband development projects. One of the key goals listed by the Broadband Strategy is development of broadband networks and access in those locations where such services are unavailable or in such locations which are uncompetitive in terms of provision of wideband connection networks. The project “Rural Area Information Technology Broadband Network RAIN-2” is actually intended for achievement of this objective. Significance of the said project was confirmed by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania by Decision No. X-1225 dated 26 June 2007 which included the development of broadband connection networks in rural areas of Lithuania into the List of Economic Projects Significant to the State of Knowledge and Innovation Infrastructure.

It is estimated that upon the project implementation the residents and organisations in 98 percent of rural areas of the country will be able to use broadband connection services, a competitive environment will be created for provision of broadband connection services, libraries and public internet access points will be connected to broadband networks. Considering the growing problem of the digital urban-rural divide, the status of the broadband connection infrastructure in Lithuania and seeking to ensure the objectives listed in the Development Strategy of the Broadband

Infrastructure of Lithuania for 2005-2010, the present project is intended to:
1. connect to the broadband access infrastructure the locations where state, municipal, education and public sector institutions should be connected or in the locations where broadband connection services are unavailable. To this end additional network access points and necessary data transmission equipment should be set up.
2. connect to the broadband access infrastructure the main knowledge centres (schools, libraries, public internet access points) and other objects where both institutions and telecommunications operators identified an increased need for qualitative parameters of broadband connection services.
3. in order to provide more favourable opportunities for telecommunications operators to render services by means of various access technologies to end users in rural areas, to interconnect with the fibre-optical infrastructure wireless (mobile) operators’ transmission towers and points of access of other owners’ of the infrastructure, if such points are located near the fibre-optical cable lines being built. This would create opportunities to promote competitive environment and full use of the existing infrastructure in those locations.
4. to provide possibilities to render services both on the district and regional level: to build the missing parts of the network. It would allow ensuring higher competition and more favourable conditions for rendering services to the end user.
5. to ensure a rational use and maintenance of the created network.

The key principles for creation of the network:
1. The open access principle: the built infrastructure may be employed by all service users. Technical solutions must allow ensuring this principle.
2. Technological neutrality: the selected technologies should allow all potential users of the network to use the resources of the network freely without restrictions to technical solutions.
3. The selected solutions must optimally promote development of a competitive environment, i.e. the end user should be allowed to freely choose the service provider and services.
4. The infrastructure is constructed only in areas where it is not available.
5. The built infrastructure must ensure implementation of the objectives set in The Development Strategy of the Broadband Infrastructure of Lithuania for 2005-2010 and achieve corresponding indications of the priority axis “Information Society for all” of the Operational Programme for Economic Growth.
6. The selected technical solutions should serve long-term and meet the needs for a period of at least 10 years.