The Real Wi-Fight: Romania’s Race to Connect Every Corner of the Country
Romania’s first Internet connection was established in 1993 via ici.ro. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, urban residents built “rețele de cartier” by stringing Ethernet cables between buildings, helping the country leapfrog DSL. By 2020 Romania ranked third in the world for fastest fixed internet speeds, behind Singapore and Hong Kong. As of 2024, 88.6% of Romanian households had internet at home, with 92.5% of urban and 83.2% of rural households online. Fiber dominates the fixed network, with about 93% of localities passed by FTTH/B and about 93% of localities able to access gigabit speeds. Digi (RCS&RDS) had about