State aid: European Commission approves a €500 million Spanish programme under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism to support the roll-out of broadband backhaul networks in rural areas

The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, a €500 million Spanish programme under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM) to support the deployment of broadband backhaul infrastructure in rural areas. The aid programme is part of Spain’s strategy to meet the needs of citizens and businesses in the context of the digitisation of the country. It also contributes to the EU’s strategic objectives regarding the digital transition.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said: “This €500 million Spanish funding scheme […] will help consumers and businesses in rural areas to access high quality mobile services, which will contribute to Spain’s economic growth and to the achievement of the EU’s strategic objectives regarding the digital transition“.

Under the scheme, aid will take the form of direct grants to electronic telecommunications providers and infrastructure companies. Beneficiaries will be chosen on the basis of an open, competitive, transparent and non-discriminatory selection procedure. The measure will finance the deployment of fibre broadband backhaul networks to connect selected base stations located in municipalities with less than 10 000 inhabitants and which, by the 31st December 2025, would, in the absence of support, not have a satisfactorily functioning infrastructure.

The programme aims to ensure the widespread availability of high performance mobile networks, capable of providing end-users with high quality and reliable electronic communications access services that meet their current and future needs.

For more information, please visit: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_22_6171