14 DAY TRIAL // European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised this week to provide free Wi-Fi Internet connections in every EU town by 2020 as part of a new EU developmental project.
Called WIFI4EU (Wi-Fi for EU), the project's goal is to connect all of Europe's remote towns to the Internet.
The Commission plans to subsidize this new project, if the EU Parliament votes favorably, with €120 million ($135 million) until 2019, with its official launch scheduled for the following year.
Local governments to pay for the bandwidth
The plan is for EU member states to use the funds to purchase and install Wi-Fi hotspots across major urban areas.
Accepted installation points include public buildings, health centers, parks or squares. Between 6,000 and 8,000 local communities are expected to benefit from this project, the Commission estimates.
The project does not include bandwidth costs, which will be left to local authorities, along with any maintenance expenses.
EU towns that already feature a private or public Wi-Fi network can't apply for funds, according to a project factsheet.
At the technical level, the Wi-Fi network should be able to support between 40 to 50 million Wi-Fi connections per day, and should be available to both locals and tourists alike.
Basic 5G network coverage by 2025
The WIFI4EU project is part of a larger Internet Connectivity plan that the EU has announced. This also includes the 5G Action Plan.
The Commission's initial goals are that at least one major city in each EU member state should have access to a 5G network by 2020.
By 2025, the EU wants all urban areas, major roads, and railways to support uninterrupted 5G coverage.
Also by 2025, the EU hopes to have 100 Mbps Internet connections in all European homes, in both urban and rural areas.