Press Release: State aid: Commission approves Italian scheme to bridge digital divide in Lombardy

The European Commission approved on 8 February 2010 under EU state aid rules funding for a network to bridge the digital divide in the Italian region of Lombardy. The Italian scheme is fully in line with the Commission's Broadband Guidelines and will contribute to reaching the EU's objective of increasing broadband connectivity to all European citizens while at the same time stimulating competition in areas where private operators were not present before.