Every Hungarian household will have broadband Internet connection by 2018, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday after signing a partnership agreement with Magyar Telekom.

The partnership agreement is in accordance with Hungary’s undertaking to the European Union to put broadband internet in all homes by 2020.

Prime Minister Orbán said there is a real chance for Hungarian economy to have one of Europe's most modern and best telecommunications infrastructures.

DownloadPhoto: Gergely Botár
The agreement with Magyar Telekom, a unit of Deutsche Telekom, marks the confirmation of a long-standing friendship, he said.

He added that building the required infrastructure would cost several hundred billion forints, partly financed by Deutsche Telekom and partly by the state.

The company has invested HUF 1,800 billion (EUR 5.8 billion) in Hungary over the past two decades and was one of the country's largest taxpayers. Last year, the telecommunications and IT sector accounted for nearly 25 percent of Hungary's economic growth, he added.

DownloadPhoto: Gergely Botár

On the occasion of the agreement, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, Timotheus Hoettges said that Magyar Telekom would invest several hundreds of billions of forints in network development in the next few years.

It is a common goal of Deutsche Telekom and the Hungarian Government to help Hungary get a leading position in digitalisation. This will support productivity and competitiveness of the country’s economy as well.

(Prime Minister's Office)