The Italian Strategy for Ultra Broadband aims to provide gigabit connectivity to all by 2026.
Summary of broadband development in Italy
The Italian Strategy for Ultra Broadband plans intervention in several areas to provide connectivity for those who do not have access to very high capacity networks so far. Funds to implement the measures were earmarked through the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The 5G band auctions for 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz spectrum took place in 2018, with licenses valid till end 2037. Vodafone and TIM launched 5G services in June 2019, Wind Tre in October 2020 and Iliad in December 2020.
National broadband plan and policy
Responsible authorities
- The department of Telecommunications (Comunicazioni) within the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy) is the main body responsible for planning and implementing Italy’s national broadband plan. The ministry is responsible for telecommunications infrastructures, adopts measures defined in the SNBUL and coordinates the activities of all the involved actors both public and private. It also manages the Italian National Registry of the infrastructures (SINFI).
- The Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) assists in domains related to issues of public administration, digital connectivity to public offices and special public users, and integrating connectivity with advanced digital services.
- The role of the public sector in the development of the entire ultra-broadband policy in Italy is coordinated by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) through the Committee for the spread of high-speed broadband (COBUL), which is composed of the PCM, the MiSE, Infratel Italia Spa and AgID.
- AGCOM, the sector regulator, has consultancy tasks and acts within its domain of regulation of NGA access, price conditions and technical standards.
Main aims and measures for broadband development
The Italian Strategy for Ultra Broadband Towards the Gigabit Society (May 2021) has seven intervention areas: a) Plan for white areas, b) Voucher plan, c) Plan Italy 1 Giga, d) Italy 5G Plan, e) Connected Schools Plan, g) Connected Health Plan, and h) Minor Islands Plan.
The Plan Italy 1 Giga, with planned allocation EUR 3.8 billion, aims to provide 1 Gbps in download and 200 Mbps upload speeds in grey and market failure areas, to be determined after the completion of a mapping exercise. In compliance of the principle of technological neutrality it is planned to cover a total of 8.5 million households by 2026.
An implementing decree for the "School Plan" and the "Family Voucher Plan", with EUR 600 million to be spent, was signed in August 2020.
The Italy 5G Plan, with an allocation of EUR 2.02 billion aims to incentivise the deployment of 5G mobile networks in areas of market failure.
The Italian Strategy for Ultra Broadband 2023-2026 was approved by the Interministerial Committee for Digital Transition (CITD) on 6 July 2023. The new strategy intends to improve monitoring and planning and optimise public investments in the deployment of high-capacity networks. The strategy confirms existing initiatives and launches an additional set of interventions for monitoring and developing fixed network infrastructure, next-generation 5G networks, and the deployment of innovative services. The overall objective of the strategy is to provide fixed network coverage with speeds (transmission capacity in the peak hour and for each active customer) equal to or greater than 1 Gbps for all civic numbers/building units and FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) coverage in the most remote areas with a minimum speed of 100 Mbps for each active customer in the peak hour.
National and regional broadband financial instruments and measures
The Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan allocates EUR 6.7 billion for the implementation of the Strategy for Ultra Broadband. The plan provides allocations for the following five projects:
- Italy 1 Giga
- Italy 5G
- Connected schools, aiming to provide the state-of-the-art connectivity (at least 1 Gbps) to the approximately 9,000 schools
- Connected health care facilities, which intends to cover approximately 12,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities (at least 1 Gbps and up to 10 Gbps connectivity)
- Connected smaller islands, aiming to deliver adequate connectivity to 18 smaller islands through submarine fibre cables
Italy’s national roadmap for the implementation of the connectivity toolbox includes several reforms. In particular on streamlining permit granting procedures for civil works, improving transparency and reinforcing the capabilities of the single information point, and expanding the right of access to existing physical infrastructure.
The Italian voucher scheme of total EUR 610 million will provide aid in the form of vouchers to SMEs that will subscribe to broadband services capable of ensuring download speeds of at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps).
Data on broadband development and technologies in Italy
For the latest data on broadband coverage, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different broadband technologies check the country reports of the Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI).
Spectrum assignments for wireless broadband
For details on harmonised spectrum assignments, please consult the European 5G Observatory report.
National and EU publications and press documents
English
- Broadband Investment Handbook
- Mobile and Fixed Broadband Prices in Europe 2022
- Study on National Broadband Plans in the EU27
- Broadband Connectivity Reports and Analyses
Italian
- Strategia italiana per la Banda Ultra Larga 2023-2026
- Strategia Italiana per la Banda Ultralarga “Verso la Gigabit Society”, 25 maggio 2021
- Sistema Informativo Nazionale Federato delle Infrastrutture (SINFI)
Contact information
BCO Italy (national Broadband Competence Office): Ministry of Economic Development
Address: Via Veneto, 33 - 00187 Roma
Contact via email
Phone: +39 06 54442599
Website
Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy)
Address: Via Molise 2, 00187 Rome, Italy
Contact via email
Phone: +39 06 47051
Website
Agency for Digital Italy (Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale, AgID)
Address: Via Liszt 21, 00144 Rome, Italy
Contact via email
Phone: +39 06 852 641
Website
Authority for Communications Guarantees (Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni, AGCOM)
Address: Via Isonzo 21/b, 00198 Rome, Italy
Contact via email
Phone: +39 06 696 441 11
Website
Latest News
Related Content
Big Picture
Find current information on broadband development in each country, as well as national strategies and policies for developing broadband.
See Also
Sweden’s national broadband plan, adopted in 2016, has the vision of an entirely connected Sweden and has goals for both mobile coverage and for high-speed broadband connections for households and businesses.
Digital connectivity and 5G rollout are among the ten strategic priorities of the Spain Digital Agenda.
Slovenia opts for technological neutrality and market dynamics in developing broadband networks, in particular infrastructure- and service-based competition.
Slovakia has set the long-term objective of providing all households with access to ultra-fast internet by 2030.
Romania focuses on building up a national broadband network as a step towards achieving the EU connectivity targets.
The Agenda Portugal Digital and the National Strategy for Connectivity in Very High Capacity Electronic Communication Networks for 2023-2030 shape development of digital infrastructure in Portugal.
Poland’s national broadband plan 2025 is in line with the EU’s Gigabit Society targets.
Expanding reliable and strong digital infrastructure and closing the digital divide is in focus of the digital infrastructure policies in the Netherlands.
Malta’s broadband policy is technology-neutral and favours a competitive market environment.
The development of a communication infrastructure with a target of gigabit broadband access throughout the country is one of the priorities in the governmental programme of Luxembourg.
Lithuania aims to provide 100 Mbps by 2027 to rural areas as well supporting the Gigabit society targets 2025.
Latvia supports the Gigabit society targets and aims at 100 Mbps, upgradable to gigabit, for urban and rural areas and 5G coverage for all large urban areas.
The national broadband plan for Ireland foresees that by 2026 all premises in Ireland will have access to high-speed broadband.
Hungary’s National Digitalisation Strategy 2022-2030 aims to achieve a target of 95% of households covered by gigabit networks by 2030.
The National Broadband Plan 2021-2027 promotes the use of fixed very high capacity and 5G networks. The Greek Digital Transformation Bible 2020-2025 highlights connectivity as one of the five strategic axes and acknowledges the Gigabit Society 2025 targets.
The 2021 coalition agreement, the Digital Strategy and the Gigabit Strategy 2022 of the German Federal Government prioritise the nationwide supply of FTTH and 5G networks.
The Finnish authorities favour a competition-driven, fibre-based network roll-out assisted by public funds for underserved areas and advice for local municipalities on how to deploy broadband networks.
Estonia has established basic broadband coverage throughout the country. The Estonian Digital Agenda sets ambitious targets for 2030.
A number of political initiatives aiming at nation-wide fixed and mobile broadband coverage support Danish broadband goals. The Government works towards making Denmark a digital frontrunner by creating a foundation for Danish businesses to exploit digital technologies.
The National Plan for the Development of Very High Capacity Networks, approved in March 2021, defines the strategic approach of the Czech Republic to the construction of VHCN.
Cyprus’ broadband plan sets strategic objectives for 2021-2025 and includes legislative and regulatory interventions as well as practical support for the development of broadband infrastructure.
Croatian National Plan for Broadband Development 2021–2027 responds to the European Gigabit Society objectives 2025 and partially to the 2030 digital targets.
The National Broadband Infrastructure Plan for Next Generation Access "Connected Bulgaria" and the Policy on electronic communications were updated and adopted in August 2020.
Belgium’s broadband strategy is incorporated into a broader policy strategy, called Digital Belgium. The aim of the national plan for fixed and mobile broadband is to eliminate the remaining white areas where high speed services are unavailable. By lowering costs and reducing...
Austria’s broadband strategy focuses on the nationwide supply of Gigabit connections (fixed and mobile) by 2030.