The Government accelerates the deployment of 5G in rural areas and publishes the provisional resolution of the program that will take the optical fiber to the telecommunications towers
17/07/2023
Eight operators are given grants amounting to 448.8 million euros, financed with European funds Next Generation EU, to provide fiber optic backhaul connections to mobile telephone towers in municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants. This program, together with the UNICO 5G Activos, which is being finalized, represents an investment of almost 1,000 million euros for the deployment of 5G in rural municipalities. The provisional resolution can be consulted at this link.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, has published the provisional resolution of the call for the program UNIQUE 5G networks Backhaul, which will accelerate the deployment of this technology in rural areas of Spain.
This programme, financed with European funds Next Generation EU within the framework of the Recovery Plan and aligned with the objectives of the Digital Spain 2026 agenda, together with the next call for proposals UNIQUE Active 5G networks represent an investment of almost 1,000 million euros for the deployment of this technology in rural municipalities.
This was announced by the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, María González Veracruz, during an institutional visit in the municipality of Antas (Almería) together with the provincial head of technical inspection, Francisco Acacio, and the mayor of the town, Pedro Ridao, last Friday.
At the end of the evaluation process of the 255 applications submitted by 11 operators to cover the 50 provinces, it has been decided to grant aid amounting to 448.8 million euros to the projects submitted by eight of them to provide a connection of Backhaul by means of optical fibre – including active and passive elements – to sites (towers) of public mobile telephone networks that do not have such a connection in municipalities of less than 5,000 inhabitants.
The temporary grants contribute to the goal of deploying the necessary capabilities to deliver 5G-based services and applications in rural areas. These actions promote territorial cohesion, avoid the formation of a digital divide in the deployment of 5G and allow us to face the demographic challenge, promoting new economic activities and opportunities to all corners.
With the subsidies, the operators will be able to carry out investments and expenses associated with the development of projects for the deployment of fiber to the towers from infrastructure and civil works to equipment and materials.
About the program UNIQUE 5G Networks
The Digital Infrastructure for Cohesion Universalization Program (UNICO) serves as a framework for different calls that facilitate the universalization of ultra-fast broadband access and 5G extension.
Under the umbrella of UNIQUE 5G networks are those aids intended to promote the deployment of this technology, as well as the services and applications available for 5G in municipalities of less than 10,000 inhabitants.