In December 2022, the European Commission issued revised Broadband State Aid Guidelines that seek to ensure that public support measures result in wider broadband coverage and take-up in line with the EU’s digital policy objectives, without breaching the EU’s state aid rules by unduly distorting private investments and competition. 

The revised guidelines, which replace the earlier 2013 version:

• align the threshold for public support to fixed networks with the latest technological and market developments, in principle allowing state aid in areas without existing or credibly planned 1 Gbps networks; and
• provide new guidance on aid for the deployment of mobile networks and on measures aimed at stimulating service take-up (vouchers).