The village of Plaiuri stands as the newest example of best practices and digital progress in Romania’s rural areas. The locals have been connected to high-speed internet through the pilot project “Digital Bridges,” developed by Prysmian at the invitation of Cluj-Napoca Municipality, together with the Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association.
“Digital Bridges” is part of the Rural-Urban Hub project, which brings together local authorities and the business sector to help bridge the gap in living standards between urban and rural Romanians.
Plaiuri village, located in Petreștii de Jos commune, has been connected to an FTTH (Fiber To The Home) network—meaning the fiber optic cable runs directly to each household, rather than just to a nearby node, as is typically the case. FTTH is considered one of the best types of internet connections currently available. Bringing internet to the village marked a local innovation, especially since even mobile phone coverage was previously unreliable.
“In Plaiuri, it was often impossible to make a simple phone call due to the extremely weak signal. The relay tower is located behind a hill, so the signal couldn’t pass through—it was unstable and disrupted by interference and distance.
Now, after we brought high-speed internet directly into people’s homes, the whole community feels revitalized: young families have moved from Cluj to Plaiuri and are now working remotely, and new local entrepreneurs are emerging, eager to open small businesses in the area.
It’s incredibly important that students finally have access to online resources and smart tablets they used to only dream about, that people have learned to make online payments, and that they can make phone calls anytime now that the mobile signal issue has also been resolved.
In order to digitize the Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area, Prysmian understood the need to act from the bottom up.
Digitizing a small village while preserving its authenticity and respecting its traditions is a challenge—but also a responsibility. The success in Plaiuri can be replicated anywhere in the country, or even abroad, with the right partners who understand the need for small communities to evolve. Prysmian is committed to bringing innovation to any community, no matter where it is in the world or how difficult the conditions may be”, stated Cristian Gheorghe, Business Development Director at Prysmian, at the 2025 Carbon Neutrality Summit in Cluj-Napoca.
The event brought together local, national, and international stakeholders seeking fast-track solutions for decarbonization.
“I congratulate all local and regional actors involved for the exemplary way they understood and applied concepts of inter-institutional collaboration and local testing of cutting-edge technologies for the benefit of citizens.
Through such initiatives, we are not only building infrastructure but also shaping the future of a more equitable and smarter society—one that aligns with the European concept of deep tech innovation, where technology is used to address the real challenges of communities. Europe needs more projects like this one, and the Cluj model can be replicated anywhere across the continent”, said Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca.
