The signing of the Joint Ministerial Decision (JMA) which sets out the procedure and conditions for the provision of the demand boost voucher for optical fiber connections to homes and businesses – FTTH (Gigabit Voucher), opens the way for the action to begin.
As “N” has already reported, the Gigabit Voucher aims at increasing the penetration of FTTH connected to Smart Readiness and will be implemented in 4 phases.
During the first phase, 200,000 Gigabit tokens will be available and at least 60,000 Smart Readiness must be absorbed. During the second phase, 100,000 Gigabit and 30,000 Smart Readiness and during the third and fourth 50,000 Gigabit and 15,000 Smart Readiness.
One phase will follow the other, i.e. a platform will be opened for Gigabit vouchers provided that the Smart Readiness connections foreseen in the previous phase have been made.
The Gigabit Voucher will subsidize households and businesses to connect to the internet at speeds of at least 250 Mbps. Each beneficiary will receive a total of 200 euros for connection fees and the monthly fixed fee of FTTH for two years. In total, the beneficiaries are about 400 thousand households and businesses, if all 4 phases proceed.
Smart Readiness subsidizes the “smart readiness” of 120,000 buildings in the country, through the creation of digital infrastructure (mainly vertical fiber optic cabling) and is funded by the Recovery Fund. It is already available with deadlines for issuing and redeeming coupons on 30/06/25 and 31/10/25 respectively.
