A third CEF Digital call, worth over €240 million, opened with a deadline to apply by 20 February 2024. It aims to strengthen the deployment of ultra-fast, secure and sustainable digital infrastructures.
CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) - Digital is a programme that aims to support and catalyse both public and private investments in digital connectivity infrastructures between 2021 and 2027.
One of the actions under this programme concerns “5G and Edge Cloud for Smart Communities” (5GSC). It focuses on boosting the deployment of 5G infrastructure especially in underdeveloped areas, to support services of general interest.
Following the first CEF Digital call, the Commission selected seven 5GSC projects including use cases in the health, public administration and education sectors and with services related to disaster management, public safety and agriculture.
One example of 5GSC selected project is CONNECTOW, in Wavre. Thanks to 5G and with the EU’s support, the city will work towards becoming smart across sectors such as culture, mobility, environment, healthcare and much more. This is just an example of the immense potential of 5G connectivity. It offers clear advantages in improving all kinds of digital services and ensuring secure and reliable digital services, connected objects, edge cloud integration and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The projects selected under CEF Digital call 2 will be published soon.
If you are interested to know more, visit the 5GSC.eu platform. It is open to all stakeholders willing to learn about existing projects and good practices, receive news about future calls and benefit from meeting like-minded stakeholders.
You are also welcome to share your views on how 5G can improve services in your community.
Important 5GSC events
- On 26th October, the Commission’s executive agency HaDEA organised the CEF Digital Info Day, during which the “5G and edge cloud for Smart Communities” topic was covered. The recording and more details can be found here.
- On 7th November, the 5GSC platform is organising a dedicated “5G and edge cloud Smart Communities” InfoDay. Please check the 5GSC.eu platform regularly for more information.
Get in touch
- For any question, we encourage you to contact HaDEA’s functional mailbox at HADEA-CEF-DIGITAL-CALLS@ec.europa.eu. A dedicated FAQ page is also available on the Funding and Tenders Portal.