Italy to spend EUR2bn to ensure full 5G coverage by 2026

The Italian government has unveiled plans to invest EUR2 billion (USD2.3 billion) to guarantee mobile data speeds of at least 150Mbps across the entire country by 2026. The government-backed body Infratel aims to invest in the rollout of 5G networks in areas which will not be covered under the commercial investment plans of Italian cellcos TIM, WINDTRE, Vodafone and Iliad. The funds will be allocated via a series of tenders.

In response to an Infratel survey, the operators said they had 66,698 base stations deployed between them at present, and this number would rise to 73,931 by 2026, covering 47,103 unique sites. Infratel says that equipment at 11,352 sites will not be connected to fibre backhaul by 2026, with contracts to be awarded to upgrade all sites to ensure nationwide 5G coverage. CommsUpdate