The Government launches a new public consultation on the regulatory bases of the aid of the UNICO Rural Demand program

05/05/2022
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  • The characteristics of the aid contemplated in the call for the UNICO-Rural Demand program, which will be launched soon and will help to extend to 100% of the population the ultra-fast broadband (at least 100% of the population) Mbps)
  • This program, which is part of the Recovery Plan, operates on two levels: the wholesaler to facilitate network platforms in unpopulated areas and the retailer, to guarantee affordable rates to households and citizens who are in areas where fixed connectivity of more than 100 does not reach Mbps
  • It has a budget of 73.3 million euros, financed with European funds Next Generation EU and ERDF.
  • The consultation will remain open until June 9 and can be consulted in this link
    • This program operates on two levels: the wholesaler to facilitate network platforms in unpopulated areas and the retailer, to guarantee affordable rates to households and citizens who are in areas where fixed connectivity of more than 100 Mbps does not reach.

    The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, has published a public consultation on the regulatory bases of the aid contemplated in the UNICO-Rural Demand program, endowed with 73.3 million euros of European funds.

    UNICO-Rural Demand grants will be applied throughout the national territory and aim to extend ultra-fast broadband (at least 100 Mbps) in rural and remote areas where operators have not deployed their networks.

    To reduce the digital divide and contribute to the goal of reaching 100% of the population with ultra-fast bandwidth connection—at least 100% Mbps -In 2025, it is planned to launch this call for subsidies that intervene at the wholesale level - to configure a platform that allows the contracting of an affordable retail broadband connection service - and retail, to ensure the affordability of the monthly rate to users in remote rural areas.

    This aid, which is granted in competitive competition, is necessary so that citizens and companies located in areas where there is no other alternative can have adequate and affordable connectivity, thereby promoting the social and territorial cohesion of the State.

    The program also plans to grant subsidies for the installation of equipment and the discharge of the end users of the retail broadband access service, covering the associated expenses such as the acquisition of end user equipment, its installation and its commissioning.

    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 ultra-fast broadband access and 5G extension. Achieve broadband coverage to 100 Mbps for 100% of the population is one of the objectives of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the Digital Spain Agenda.

    The first call for applications from the UNICO-Broadband Programme, which was resolved last December, granted aid worth 249.9 million euros, the largest allocation in the history of broadband programmes. The winning projects will bring broadband to more than one million households and businesses in 4,500 municipalities.

    Currently, Spain is already the third country in Europe with the best connectivity, with broadband coverage at 30 Mbps 92% (in rural areas 65%) and 87% at a rate of 100 Mbps.