The Government launches a consultation to define the criteria of the UNICO-5G Networks program with which 4G/5G infrastructure will be deployed in areas with insufficient 4G coverage

29/07/2021

This call for the UNICO – 5G Networks Programme will be endowed with 150 million euros and has among its objectives to promote the implementation of 4G/5G technology in rural areas through the extension of passive infrastructures

UNICO, the Program for Universalization of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion, serves as a framework for the different calls that will allow 100% of the population to have connectivity with ultra-fast broadband and accelerate the deployment of 5G throughout the territory

The consultation advances aspects of the future call for proposals, such as the eligible areas, the agents who will be eligible for this aid, the geographical scope of the competition, the intensity of the aid and the evaluation criteria so that interested parties can send their contributions

The public consultation will remain open until September 5, 2021.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation has launched a public consultation that will help define the conditions of the new call for applications UNICO - 5G Redes. The call will be endowed with 150 million euros and will give aid for the extension of passive 4G/5G infrastructures in areas with insufficient 4G coverage.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation has launched a public consultation that will help to define the conditions of the new call UNICO - 5G Redes. The call will be endowed with 150 million euros and will give aid for the extension of passive 4G/5G infrastructures in areas with insufficient 4G coverage.

4G/5G passive infrastructures are physical infrastructures to support mobile communications networks, such as towers, masts or poles, conduits, power supply systems or networks connecting to public energy networks or infrastructure protection elements and systems.

The consultation will also serve to identify the areas that will be eligible for support and that, initially, have been identified with those that do not currently have coverage of 4G networks that provide at least 10 Mbps. Population centers are included, excluding municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, and roads, except those included in the bidding obligations of the 700 MHz band. Although a preliminary listing has been made from the information provided by the telecommunications operators, the public consultation will now make it possible to make the definitive identification of the eligible areas.

Other issues to be considered in the consultation are the actors who will be eligible for this aid, the geographical area of competition, the conditions under which the beneficiaries will have to offer operators the use of the infrastructure, the intensity of the aid and the evaluation criteria. The aim is to support projects that cover the largest number of inhabitants.

Program of Universalization of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion (UNICO)

The Digital Infrastructure for Cohesion Universalization Program (UNICO) serves as a framework for different calls that will facilitate the universalization of access to ultra-fast broadband and the extension of 5G throughout the territory. The investments associated with these actions are included in the “Digital Connectivity, Cybersecurity Boost and 5G Deployment” component of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The Recovery Plan foresees in 2021 a budget of 235 million euros within the investment "Deployment of 5G: networks, technological change and innovation".

UNICO – 5G Redes is one of the call programs that will be published under this framework. Another program is UNICO-Broadband which aims to deploy ultra-fast broadband and is endowed with 250 million euros.