Italy to spend 3 billion euros on ultra-broadband

(AGI) Brussels, Feb. 24 - The Italian government wants to realise a national ultra-broadband network and to connect the 7,300 municipalities that still have no access to fast Internet. Three billion euros have been earmarked for the project. The matter was discussed on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Brussels during a meeting organised by Democratic Party MEP Michela Giuffrida. The session was attended by several representatives of the industry and the Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency of the Council, Raffaele Tiscar. "Bringing high speed Internet to all Italian citizens and businesses, wherever they are, is essential, but not enough," said Ms Giuffrida. "We must ensure that all citizens can choose between competitive offerings in terms of quality and price, as is already the case in big cities. Thanks to funds provided by the European Union and the Italian government, local communities have taken centre stage in achieving this goal." The Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning (CIPE) released the first 2.2 billion euros for the project in August 2015. Another 1.2 billion will be allocated by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The National Operational Plan (NOP) for enterprises and competitiveness will provide 233 million euros. CIPE will allocate 1.18 billion to the southern regions to finance other infrastructure works. Mr Tiscar pointed out that "the digital platform is the future" and therefore "the political commitment of the public sector is crucial." Private parties like Fastweb, present at the meeting, may also invest in the project, Mr Tiscar said. (AGI). .