Projects eligible for the EU’s 750-billion-euro Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) – a fifth of which will go on plans to boost digital capabilities. Commission encourages member states to include in their recovery and resilience plans investments and reforms aimed… at the fast rollout of very high-capacity networks. Concern over a plan drafted by Italy last year aimed at merging network assets of former phone monopoly Telecom Italia with state-backed rival Open Fiber in a company that could be eligible for Recovery funds.
Rome would create a single-unified network champion to speed up fiber-optic rollout across the country while avoiding a duplication of investment. The Commission will continue its vigorous enforcement of the existing EU rules, including the antitrust and merger rules, where applicable, to ensure effective competition in the telecoms market to the benefit of businesses and consumers.