Internet use is quite low in Bulgaria, as the cost of buying a computer and connecting it to the internet is still beyond the means of many Bulgarians. Despite this, broadband availability is increasing and the cost of internet access is very low by western European standards.
A basic, 256 kB-speed ADSL plan with BTC costs 30 lev (€15) for installation plus 20 lev (€10) per month for 20 hours. Over 20 hours, you’re billed 0.01 lev (€0.005) per minute.
Dial-up is still by far the most popular way of connecting to the internet and there are over 150 companies providing dial-up internet services. A basic , 56 kB dial-up connection with BTC costs 4 lev (€2) plus 9.6 lev (€4.80) for 20 hours.
You can connect to the internet from a mobile phone, although this is expensive and slow. If you have cable TV you can also usually obtain internet access via the cable TV connection.
Although cable internet isn’t as fast as ADSL, it can work out cheaper if you already have cable connected and is more convenient than dial-up. Costs range from around 25 lev (€12) per month for dial-up access or low-speed cable connection to over 100 lev (€50) for high-speed connection. Most providers offer combined telephone and internet access packages.
The cable network is expanding, with the following cities served by CableTel (www.cablebulgaria.com), the largest cable operator: Burgas, Dobrich, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Lovech, Lom, Peshtera, Petrich, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Razlog, Ruse, Shumen, Sofia, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Svishtov, Targovishte, Varna and Velingrad. Cable providers offer television, telephone and internet services.
For faster internet connections you can have an ADSL or ISDN line installed.
Note that Internet speeds in Bulgaria (particularly ADSL) are noticeably slower than in many other countries (particularly the UK) as the internet ‘backbone’ connecting Bulgaria to the rest of the world is narrow.
Broadband internet coverage is reliant on BTC’s ADSL network, which currently covers 140 towns and villages (including the four largest cities, Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas).
There are two types of broadband connection available:
The advantages of ADSL include much faster speeds than a dial-up internet connection, the ability to use your phone while on the internet and a much simpler installation process than ISDN (ADSL only requires you to plug an ADSL adaptor into a phone socket, while ISDN requires an engineer to install new plugs).
If ADSL isn’t available and you aren’t in a ‘cabled’ area, ISDN is the only option; connection costs 70 lev (€35).
Telecommunications standards in Bulgaria are the same as those in the EU, so if your modem works in Europe or has a ‘CE’ mark it should work in Bulgaria. If you have an ISDN line and want your computer to connect to the internet at the maximum possible speed, you will need an ISDN terminal adapter.
This is an extract from Survival Books’ Living in Bulgaria. Click here to find out more and buy a copy online.
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