WiFi4EU proposal and its targeted beneficiaries

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject:WiFi4EU proposal and its targeted beneficiaries

In his State of the Union address 2016, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced the Commission’s proposal to equip every European village and city with free wireless Internet access by 2020. To this end, the Commission proposed an investment of EUR 120 million to promote access to wireless connectivity in public places.
In light of this:
1.Can the Commission, drawing on its pre-assessment, indicate which EU regions are expected to benefit most from the WiFi4EU scheme?
2.Has it established, or does it plan to establish, a system whereby disadvantaged regions, such as sparsely populated regions and island regions, are given priority when applying for such funding?
3.Finally, does it envisage unbalanced progress among the Member States, on account of differences in licensing regulations, state support or public participation?

Answer given by Vice-President Ansip on behalf of the Commission
1. The WiFi4EU initiative(1) aims at promoting free Wi-Fi connectivity in the main centres of community life, such as in and around public buildings, libraries, health centres, parks or town squares. Subject to adoption of the proposal by the co-legislators, the initiative will take the form of a voucher, which will be given to entities with a public mission — typically local authorities — in a geographically-balanced manner and, in principle, on a first-come first-served basis. Therefore, while the Commission is committed to take into account the needs of smaller and economically lagging behind Member States and regions, it does not single out specific beneficiary regions.

2. With the initial budget of EUR 120 million, the scheme has the potential to deliver connectivity to 6 000 to 8 000 communities, which could result in 40 to 50 million Wi-Fi connections per day. The Commission will work with Member States, including via Broadband Competence Offices(2) to promote the WiFi4EU initiative and make it as inclusive as possible. In addition to the WiFi4EU initiative, the Commission provides other sources of funding to support broadband investments in areas where this is necessary(3), especially in disadvantaged regions.

3. In case of unbalanced progress, the Commission will propose measures to promote geographical take-up, including but not limited to restricted calls or volume limitations per country or region. Such measures would be proposed, if necessary, through the annual Work Programme.

(1) Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1316/2013 and (EU) No 283/2014 as regards the promotion of Internet connectivity in local communities — COM(2016)589
(2) https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/broadband-competence-offices
(3) Such as the European Structural and Investment Funds, the European Fund for Strategic Investment and the Connecting Europe Facility.

Maltese Version

Suġġett: Il-proposta WiFi4EU u l-benefiċjarji fil-mira tagħha

Fid-diskors tiegħu dwar l-Istat tal-Unjoni tal-2016, il-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea Jean-Claude Juncker ħabbar il-proposta tal-Kummissjoni li kull belt u raħal Ewropew jiġu mgħammra b’aċċess mingħajr ħlas għall-internet mingħajr fili sal-2020. Għal dan il-għan, il-Kummissjoni pproponiet investiment ta’ EUR 120 miljun biex tippromwovi l-aċċess għal konnettività mingħajr fili f’postijiet pubbliċi.

Fid-dawl ta’ dan kollu:
1. Il-Kummissjoni tista’, abbażi tal-valutazzjoni preliminari tagħha, tindika liema reġjuni tal-UE huma mistennija li jibbenefikaw l-aktar mill-iskema WiFi4EU?
2. Stabbiliet, jew beħsiebha tistabbilixxi sistema fejn reġjuni żvantaġġjati, bħar-reġjuni b’popolazzjoni sparsa u reġjuni gżejjer, jingħataw prijorità meta japplikaw għal tali finanzjament?
3. Fl-aħħar nett, qed tipprevedi progress żbilanċjat fost l-Istati Membri, minħabba d-differenzi fir-regolamenti tal-liċenzjar, fl-appoġġ mill-Istat jew fil-parteċipazzjoni pubblika?

Tweġiba mogħtija mill-Viċi President Ansip f’isem il-Kummissjoni
1. L-inizjattiva WiFi4EU(1) timmira li tippromwovi l-konnettività ta’ Wi-Fi b’xejn fiċ-ċentri ewlenin tal-ħajja komunitarja, bħal ġewwa u madwar il-binjiet pubbliċi, il-libreriji, iċ-ċentri tas-saħħa, il-parks jew il-pjazez. Suġġett għall-adozzjoni tal-proposta mill-koleġiżlaturi, l-inizjattiva se tkun fil-forma ta’ vawċer, li se jingħata lill-entitajiet b’missjoni pubblika — tipikament l-awtoritajiet pubbliċi — f’mod ibbilanċjat f’sens ġeografiku u, fil-prinċipju, skont min jiġi l-ewwel. Għalhekk, filwaqt li l-Kummissjoni hija impenjata li tqis il-ħtiġijiet ta’ Stati Membri u reġjuni li huma iżgħar u li ekonomikament qed jibqgħu lura, mhix qed tagħti għażla speċjali lil xi reġjuni benefiċjarji speċifiċi.

2. B’baġit inizjali ta’ EUR 120 miljun, l-iskema għandha l-potenzjal li twassal il-konnettività lil 6 000 sa 8 000 komunità, li jista’ jirriżulta f’40 sa 50 miljun konnessjoni tal-Wi-Fi kuljum. Il-Kummissjoni se taħdem mal-Istati Membri, inkluż permezz tal-Uffiċċji tal-Kompetenza tal-Broadband(2) biex tippromwovi l-inizjattiva WiFi4EU u tagħmilha kemm jista’ jkun inklussiva. Minbarra l-inizjattiva WiFi4EU, il-Kummissjoni tipprovdi sorsi oħrajn ta’ finanzjament biex tappoġġa l-investimenti tal-broadband f’żoni fejn dan huwa neċessarju(3), speċjalment f’reġjuni żvantaġġati.

3. Fil-każ ta’ progress żbilanċat, il-Kummissjoni se tipproponi miżuri biex tippromwovi l-adozzjoni ġeografika, inkluż, iżda mhux limitat għal, sejħiet ristretti jew limitazzjonijiet tal-volum għal kull pajjiż jew reġjun. Jekk ikun meħtieġ miżuri bħal dawn se jiġu proposti permezz ta’ Programm ta’ Ħidma annwali.

(1) Proposta għal Regolament tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill li jemenda r-Regolamenti (UE) Nru 1316/2013 u (UE) Nru 283/2014 fejn tidħol il-promozzjoni tal-konnettività tal-Internet fil-komunitajiet lokali — COM(2016)589
(2) https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/broadband-competence-offices
(3) Bħall-Fondi Strutturali u ta’ Investiment Ewropej, il-Fond Ewropew għall-Investimenti Strateġiċi u l-Faċilità Nikkollegaw l-Ewropa.