The EU-funded Banda Ultra Larga/Ultrafast Broadband (BUL) Puglia project has provided high-quality internet access to people living in ‘white’ areas in 256 municipalities across the Apulia region in southern Italy. White areas are places in which private operators are neither providing ultrafast broadband nor expected to begin providing it within three years. They are also areas in which the establishment of broadband networks is commercially unviable and it is thus permissible to intervene with public funding.
- 01 November 2014
“This initiative aims to help accelerate the country's digitisation processes. It is a project that demonstrates how, thanks to a public-private partnership and the assistance of local authorities, it is possible to create favourable conditions for the establishment of new generation networks, even in municipalities that, for commercial reasons, have not thus far been included in all operators’ infrastructure plans.”
Some 65 500 dwellings became eligible for connection to fibre optic broadband with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) thanks to BUL Puglia, while around 38 100 dwellings were able to connect to services with speeds of at least 30 Mbps.
Along with fibre optic cables, all industrial zones covered by the project were given access to cables providing point-to-point connectivity – the secure connection of two locations within a closed network.
Progress towards EU objectives
In line with Italy’s ultrafast broadband strategy, Apulia had already carried out several broadband-related actions prior to the start of BUL Puglia. This had been done to reach the goals for 2020 laid down in the EU’s Digital Agenda for Europe: namely that 50 % of households should have broadband coverage with speeds of at least 100 Mbps and that all households should have coverage with speeds of at least 30 Mbps.
Under BUL Puglia, Apulia built on the previous actions to the extent that, by the time of its completion, the region was well on the way to achieving the Digital Agenda for Europe objectives. As of February 2019, broadband speeds of at least 30 Mbps were available to 83 % of households, while 45 % had access to speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
Quality of life and innovation
Implementation of BUL Puglia involved the publication of a call for tender and the subsequent selection of a company that would install the necessary infrastructure and maintain and manage the network and related services for 20 years.
To reduce administrative burden and accelerate implementation, municipalities and provinces were invited to sign agreements in which they undertook to facilitate the work, including by simplifying the process for issuing the relevant permits. In developing the infrastructure, priority was given to those municipalities and provinces that had signed the agreements.
By investing in new digital technologies and services, Apulia is improving its citizens’ quality of life and fostering innovation.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Banda Ultra Larga Puglia” is EUR 31 815 700 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 25 452 560 through the “Puglia” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Use and quality of ICT”.