This topic targets actions that support investments in challenging areas, where market forces alone will not deliver 5G services with the necessary quality of service and focus on the provision of such connectivity along key European transport paths.

The focus is on providing such connectivity along key European transport paths including, but not limited to, the indicative list of 5G corridors in part V of the Annex to the CEF Regulation. The priority of this call will be to support investment in cross-border sections involving two or more Member States, with a co-funding rate of 50%.

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, masts and 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.
• Preparatory works, including network planning.

The 5G connectivity infrastructure deployment proposed for funding under this call may encompass both passive and active network elements along transport paths that cross at least one border between two Member States.

The corridor length foreseen for deployment or study on both/all sides of the border may vary, depending on national circumstances including the length of TEN-T comprehensive networks in the relevant Member State, means of transport, geographic situation, and maximum size of the project/EU funding.

Proposals must include cross-border sections of 5G corridors with other Member States representing no more than 15% of the total length of all the TEN-T comprehensive corridors of the same category (road, rail or waterways) in the Member State concerned by the proposal and other projects funded by the CEF Digital programme.

In the presence of a demonstrated market failure, longer cross-border sections (i.e. beyond the above mentioned 15% threshold), as well as additional sections located inside of a Member State territory, could be considered. This possibility may be particularly relevant in the case of Member States where the length of TEN-T comprehensive corridors is limited. The need to justify the presence of a market failure – when exceeding the 15% threshold – does not apply to proposals designed as market-conform interventions.

5G corridor deployment projects crossing the border of a third country, or terminating at a port with maritime connections to other EU Member States, are also within the scope of this call. In such cases a strong cross-border dimension needs to be demonstrated and CEF co-funding will be limited to the corridor sections located in the eligible country/countries.

Infrastructures deployed under this call can also be used, under certain conditions where market failure is demonstrated, for services beyond the transport paths, e.g. in areas surrounding the corridor, including populated areas or where socio-economic drivers are located.