State aid: Commission approves Italian scheme to provide schools with very high- speed internet

The European Commission has just announced its decision to approve, under EU State aid rules, an Italian scheme to support connection of 12,000 schools in Italy to very high-speed internet.

The measure, with an overall budget of 325 million euros, will support schools located in areas with insufficient connectivity in Italy. The scheme aims to promote the deployment of a network able to provide upload and download speeds of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) to Italian schools. The scheme’s goal is deemed as particularly important in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as it enables improved development and access to online educational tools, and it is also in line with the EU broadband connectivity objectives, set out in the Digital Ag