Key takeaways:
- The EU is investing €389 million via CEF Digital funding to advance 56 digital infrastructure projects across Europe.
- Funding covers backbone cables, 5G transport-corridor pilots, Smart Communities deployments and EuroQCI quantum links.
- Several projects will integrate SMART cable-monitoring technologies, adding early-warning systems designed to detect potential threats to critical networks.
The European Commission has approved 56 digital infrastructure projects for €389 million in CEF Digital funding, accelerating next-generation connectivity deployment across the EU and its wider transport and communications networks.
The selected initiatives represent a major round of public investment meant to shore up Europe’s high-capacity backbone networks, extend 5G testing across key transport routes, and move quantum-secure communications forward. Taken together, the package reflects the EU’s push to create a stronger and more resilient connectivity base for companies, public services and cross-border digital activity.
The funding comes from the fourth round of calls under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme. It supports a mix of terrestrial and submarine cable systems, 5G corridor pilots, Smart Communities deployments, and quantum-secure communication links. These projects are intended to bolster safe and resilient infrastructure across Member States, outermost regions, and overseas countries and territories.A major share of the programme focuses on backbone connectivity for Digital Global Gateways. New cable projects, both within the EU and linking to third countries, will incorporate SMART monitoring technologies to support the EU Action Plan on Cable Security.These systems are designed to provide early-warning capabilities for potential threats, aligning infrastructure upgrades with emerging resilience and prevention requirements.
The 5G large-scale pilots will equip cross-border motorway and railway segments of the TEN-T transport corridors with standalone 5G networks. In parallel, Smart Communities projects will deploy 5G and edge cloud capabilities across sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism, port and airport logistics, and manufacturing. These deployments are intended to test operational models and strengthen service continuity across Europe’s mobility and industrial landscapes.
Projects under the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) include cross-border fibre links connecting national quantum networks, as well as satellite ground stations designed to integrate terrestrial systems with the IRIS2 pan-European space constellation. Together, these efforts support the development of a secure quantum layer for Europe’s digital ecosystem.
The EU’s financial contribution will take the form of grants with co-financing levels ranging from 30% to 75% of each project’s total cost. CEF Digital funding will support both feasibility studies and deployment-ready initiatives. Under the 2021–2027 budget, the CEF-Digital Programme has allocated €1.5 billion for projects that strengthen Europe’s digital capabilities, complementing CEF’s wider Energy and Transport funding streams.
The Commission noted that further CEF Digital calls will be issued over the next two years, aligned with policy initiatives such as the Recommendation on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures and the EU Action Plan on Cable Security. These future cycles are expected to continue prioritising secure connectivity, robust cross-border capacity, and strategic digital autonomy.
Following the Commission’s formal selection decision on November 3rd, 2025, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) will now move ahead with signing grant agreements and initiating pre-financing for the approved applicants.