The new investments will be used in part to support 5G infrastructures and upgrade quantum communication networks.
The European Union will invest €865m between 2024 and 2027 to improve the region’s digital connectivity infrastructure.
The investment will form the second Work Programme of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital, the EU said in a statement today (9 October), and will go towards supporting the deployment of standalone 5G and gigabit infrastructures in the region, upgrading quantum communication networks and submarine cables, and improving connectivity networks within and between member states, as well as between EU and non-EU countries.
Part of the investment will also be spent on deploying operational digital platforms for transport or energy infrastructures that can optimise energy use and reduce its impact on the environment.
Moreover, the European Commission said that the second CEF Digital Work Programme will help stimulate competition in the European digital ecosystem, adding that the investment will contribute to leveraging public and private resources to tackle the “investment gap that hinders the roll-out of high-performance networks”.
“Improving our connectivity is of strategic importance in the EU,” said Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age.
“With this second Work Programme, we aim to connect more citizens and businesses and launch more innovative connectivity infrastructure.”
CEF Digital, managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, has a budget of up to €2bn until 2027 and has funded 65 projects so far, including 30 backbone connectivity projects and 35 projects relating to 5G.
The Commission said it will be launching a new call for projects under CEF Digital shortly.
CEF Digital is one of three parts of CEF, a funding initiative that aims to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level. With a budget of €33.7bn between 2021 and 2027, CEF has two other wings – transport and energy.
In 2021, the European Parliament pledged €30bn to the upgraded Connecting Europe Facility that was announced earlier that year.
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