The cabinet of Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi has approved a EUR 6 billion plan to accelerate the development of a national high-speed fibre network following a lengthy consultation with operators. Under the terms of the Strategy for Italian Broadband and Digital Growth 2014-20, operators will be offered a series of incentives to invest in upgrading their networks, above all in the south of the country, which will receive the bulk of the Italian and European structural and development funds. The aim is to go beyond the objectives of the digital agenda for Europe and bring high-speed broadband of 100 Mbps to 85 percent of Italy's population by 2020, rather than the European goal of 50 percent, as well as 30 Mbps broadband to all Italians. According to Italian communications regulator AgCom, less than 1 percent of Italians currently access the internet at speeds of 30 Mbps, compared to an EU average of 21 percent. The government said tenders to build the networks will be awarded on the basis of how fast the work can be carried out rather than the cost.
Presenting the plan, state secretary to the prime minister's office Graziano Delrio denied recent reports that Telecom Italia would be forced to switch off its copper network and convert to fibre. "For the first time Italy has a plan that brings together different ministries, different sources of finance, regional funds, private funds: a mix that attempts to unify a range of competences and resources in a strategy framework that will allow this country to finally achieve its digital revolution, and meet the objectives of the European agenda,” said Delrio. Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi added that broadband was "the ABC, the new alphabet, of innovation and development."
