The Commission has signed grant agreements worth €142 million with 21 projects upgrading or deploying new connectivity backbone cables, including submarine cables.
Submarine cables transport more than 98% of the global telecom traffic and play an essential role for the resilience and security of digital connectivity. CEF Digital puts the security of this critical infrastructure at its core, by ensuring all beneficiaries of CEF grants are EU-controlled entities and the cables that will be deployed are built with secure technology. Almost all the funded cables are equipped with large geographical sensors to monitor nearby activities and with early warning systems to protect the infrastructure itself.
The projects financed under the third set of calls of CEF Digital will significantly contribute to boosting global connections between Europe and third countries, as well as between Member States and with Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories.
This additional investment brings the total funding for backbone cable projects to €420 million under the first Work Programme 2021-23, solidifying the EU’s commitment to a more connected, resilient, and secure critical infrastructure.
The second CEF Digital Work Programme 2024-2027 makes available additional €542 million to co-fund backbone connectivity projects, bringing the Union’s investment plans in these critical infrastructures over the current financial framework to almost 1 billion. The fourth call under the second CEF Digital is currently open for submissions until 13 February 2025. Find more information on the financed projects.
Source: European Commission | Shaping Europe’s Digital Future | News & Views (https://shorturl.at/Mywuv)