The Government authorizes the call for grants to extend high-speed broadband in 2019

The Council of Ministers today authorised the granting of grants for the implementation of last-generation broadband network extension projects, greater than 100 megabits per second (Mbps), under the Next Generation Broadband Extension Programme (PEBA-NGA). The call for grants of 150 million euros will be made by the Ministry of Economy and Enterprise through a resolution of the Secretary of State for Digital Advancement.

The objective of the PEBA-NGA is to accelerate the extension of the coverage of very high-speed broadband networks, supporting their deployment in the areas without current coverage nor foreseen by the operators in the next three years, called white zones. The deployment of this type of networks is carried out mainly in our country with fiber optic technology to the home.

The call for grants is aligned with the Plan for the deployment of digital infrastructures provided in the Agenda for Change for the promotion of scientific and technological progress. The Plan plans to complete the deployment of ultra-fast broadband networks, with access capacity greater than 100 Mbps, to facilitate the digital transformation of the economy and society. The high capillary nature of very high-speed broadband networks will also be key for Spain to continue to lead the deployment of 5G networks and infrastructures in Europe.

PEBA-NGA is a multi-year programme. Since 2013 it has financed, with almost 350 million euros of public aid, projects to bring the fiber to about five million homes and business premises, in more than 7,600 singular entities of population of medium and small size that previously had no coverage. The total investment mobilized with these projects amounts to about 700 million euros.

More extensive fiber optic network

Spain currently has the largest fiber optic network in Europe. By mid-2018, 80% of the population already had internet coverage with a speed higher than 100 Mbps. Once the current projects are completed, this coverage is estimated to be around 89% of the population.

With the new call for grants authorized today by the Council of Ministers, it is expected that in June 2021 almost two million two hundred thousand more citizens will benefit from very high speed broadband, so that coverage reaches 93.5% of the population.

The overall budget of the PEBA-NGA for the 2019 call for proposals is 150 million euros. The aid, which will be granted on the basis of competitive competition, combines EUR 25 million from the General State Budget and EUR 125 million from ERDF Community funds.