5G coverage along transport corridors - Works

This topic targets actions that support investments in challenging areas, where market forces alone will not be capable of delivering 5G services with the required quality of service.

Applicants may apply for grants for works, including studies, related to project costs covering the following categories:

• Deployment of passive network elements including civil works, e.g., ducts, dark fibre, 5G radio stations, towers, masts and/or pylons.
• Deployment and installation of active network elements, e.g., antennae, storage and computing capabilities such as network controllers, routers, switches, exchanges, edge MEC/node etc.
• Deployment and installation of specific track side devices (e.g., road, rail) for CAM use cases, such as sensors, cameras etc. for traffic monitoring purposes, including connected road-side units.
• Studies for preparatory works, such as network planning, to be deployed as part of proposed works within the same application.

The 5G connectivity infrastructure deployment proposed for funding under this call may encompass both passive and active network elements along transport paths.

In the case of passive network infrastructure deployment projects consisting mainly of fiber backhauling, the proposal should clearly demonstrate the concrete plans for its use in the context of 5G infrastructure and services, in particular with regard to the installation of the necessary equipment and associated facilities enabling the interconnection with points of presence and points of access to 5G stations and other relevant network elements (e.g., edge nodes).

Proposals must not cover more than 15% of the total length of all the TEN-T comprehensive corridors of the same category (road, rail or waterways) per Member State concerned by the proposal and other projects funded by the CEF Digital programme.

Please consult the call document for more information on the scope, including digital security requirements.