25 de September de 2020
September 25, 2020. The Spanish Government's new Digital Agenda, called Digital Spain 2025, includes nearly 50 measures grouped into ten strategic pillars that aim to drive the country's digital transformation process over the next five years, aligned with the European Union's digital strategy, through public-private collaboration and the participation of all the country's economic and social stakeholders.
- Digital Spain 2025 sets the goal of 100% of the national population having 100 Mbps coverage by 2025.
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In terms of Rural Development , the Agenda aims to contribute to closing the various digital divides that have widened in recent years, whether for socioeconomic, gender, generational, territorial , or environmental reasons. A mission aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
Hence, the primary objective is to ensure that 100% of the national population has 100 Mbps coverage by 2025.
Vertebration of the territory
Teleworking has proven to be a great opportunity to promote a lower population density , as long as it is also accompanied by access to the social and economic services available in large cities. The concentration of the population in less populated areas or areas experiencing demographic decline, whether older or younger, requires access to essential services in digital format.
Consequently, one of the Connectivity Plan's lines of action addresses adequate coverage of broadband access networks in rural areas , particularly strengthening digital access related to social and healthcare care and the connectivity of public and social center infrastructure.
Digitalization strategy for the agri-food, forestry, and rural sectors
The Spain 2025 Agenda includes among its objectives measures already developed by the Digitalization Strategy for the Agri-Food, Forestry, and Rural Environment Sector published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food in March 2019.
The Strategy for these sectors establishes measures and actions around three objectives : reducing the digital divide ; promoting the use of data ; and fostering business development and new business models (smart agriculture and Industry 4.0).
European Union Digitalization Plan
The European Commission's recent Next Generation EU proposal includes a new Reconstruction and Resilience Fund , which prioritizes financing investments related to digital transformation with a view to driving a strong economic recovery starting in the second half of 2020.
Within the new CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), the European Union (EU) is taking measures that include funding for rural connectivity and development. The Rural Broadband Action Plan is a key support measure, and its first action concerns the European Broadband Competence Office Network (BCO Network), which will help improve broadband connectivity in rural areas. This plan includes a Rural Broadband Framework to help implement broadband investment in rural areas.