The European Commission will entirely fund the Italian plan which provides incentives for mobile operators to build new 5G infrastructure.
The Commission will fund the programme through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF provides up to €723.8 billion of grants and loans to its Member States to support their post-covid recovery.
The Italian government previously announced their incentive programme in March. Infratel, which is Italy’s implementing body for broadband initiatives, said at the time that the funds will be used to connect 10,000 existing mobile sites to the fibre network and install new 5G infrastructure in underserved areas.
“This €2 billion Italian scheme, entirely funded via the RRF, will support the deployment of high performing 5G mobile networks. This will enable consumers and business to access high-quality 5G services, contributing to the economic growth of the country and to the EU’s strategic objectives relating to the digital transition,” said European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager.
