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EU broadband investment handbook

EU broadband investment handbook

EU broadband investment handbook

Publication aims to help different stakeholders unlock the full potential of digital infrastructure. 
 

The EU Broadband Investment Handbook: key resource for developers and investors

The EU Broadband Investment Handbook aims to guide and support entities, especially local and regional authorities, who want to develop and finance broadband projects within the European Union. It promotes social cohesion and economic progress by ensuring broadband infrastructure is developed and maintained in a way that is aligned with the EU's digital single market objectives and regulations.

In this way, the new publication ensures that investments contribute to broader EU goals such as increased connectivity and digital inclusion. The EU digital agenda aims to ensure that all European households should have access to high-speed internet coverage by 2025 and gigabit connectivity by 2030. Therefore, ambitious goals have been set to enhance broadband connectivity across the region. To achieve the objectives, significant investment is necessary. While private investors are typically the primary source of funding for broadband projects, public funds may be used to supplement these investments in specific cases where necessary. This is done in accordance with EU State aid rules, which ensure that public funding is used in a way that promotes fair competition and minimizes distortions in the market.

The EU Broadband Investment Handbook is especially important right now for several reasons. First of all, the EU is still facing a significant digital divide, with many rural and remote areas lacking access to high-speed internet. The handbook provides some guidance on how to address this and ensure everyone has access to reliable and fast broadband. It also provides guidance on how to ensure that 5G networks are developed and deployed in a way that is compatible with the EU's digital single market objectives. The handbook details how to ensure broadband infrastructure is developed and maintained in a way that meets the demands of an accelerated shift towards remote work, making it essential for individuals and businesses to have reliable and fast broadband connections.

EU member states have different regulatory frameworks, technical requirements, and market conditions, which can create challenges for investors seeking to deploy broadband services across multiple countries. Building and maintaining broadband infrastructure, such as fiber-optic networks, can be a costly and complex process with high upfront costs. This requires significant investment and resources and navigating regulatory hurdles. Investors in broadband infrastructure in the EU face several challenges, which vary depending on the specific market, region, or technology being deployed. Integrating new broadband infrastructure with existing infrastructure, such as legacy networks, can be challenging, for example and accessing funding and financing for broadband projects can be challenging, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

“The handbook is a good help in understanding the different financing tools available to a public authority or a local community planning to invest in a broadband project.”

Jan-Schindler

Jan Schindler

Market Intelligence Manager, Telecom Solutions, Prysmian

“However, we still need to maintain incentives for investment to facilitate the deployment of Fibre Networks. Technological development in the digital sector is progressing at a pace that has never been seen before. Especially in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI). This has transformed the digital landscape. In order to sustain such development and enable citizens to benefit from the digital transition, it is essential to ensure the development and availability of robust, future-proof, and secure infrastructure. In this regard, it is expected that infrastructure is of high quality, enabling the technology to scale up very easily. This is achieved by using components that will minimize service disruption, and are ready for the technological evolution of the next 20 years - and even beyond.”  explains Jan Schindler, Market Intelligence Manager, Telecom Solutions, Prysmian.

The EU Broadband Investment Handbook

The handbook is an important tool for ensuring that broadband infrastructure is developed and maintained in a way that is compatible with the EU's digital single market objectives and regulations, and that everyone has access to reliable and fast broadband. It is not only useful for local and regional authorities, but also for all stakeholders involved in broadband development, including:

  • Citizens;
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
  • Consumer associations;
  • Operators;
  • Infrastructure owners.

Content builds on the previously published ‘High-speed broadband investment guide’ and been comprehensively updated to encompass the latest technological, policy, regulatory, and financial developments. A new chapter on State aid has been introduced to reflect updated Broadband State Aid Guidelines and other developments.

Download the handbook