Bureaucratic red tape slowing rural broadband rollouts in Finland

Finland's broadband push is being hampered by "the bureaucracy surrounding state aid for the installation of the networks," according to telecom operators, cooperatives and other service providers looking to build into the country's remote villages, with at least one carrier reporting delays of up to one year to obtain funding.

Much like U.S.-based carriers that have to deal with the rules, regulations and overall temperament of federal regulatory agencies, Finland's service providers must navigate intricate red tape to get a share of limited resources, the Helsingin Sanomat reports. On a positive note, the Finnish government and European Union have earmarked €91 million ($113 million) to make broadband a reality in the more sparsely populated areas of the country. On a negative note, the newspaper said, "only a fraction of the allocated funds have been spent."