Amendment defused. The digital outcasts, without a good Internet connection, will not be the ones to pay directly for the delays in the plans to equip all of Italy with the broadband. To prevent the more than probable sinking of the controversial Amendment 76.07 presented by Fratelli d'Italia in the 2025 budget maneuver, which included a 10% surcharge intended to finance the plans for fiber that would have paid only those who are still tied to copper connections and not fiber optics, were the same protagonists of the proposal to correct it. This was reported by the Italian Internet Provider Association (Aiip), which had immediately highlighted the distortions of the provision.
However, Aiip is very critical of the approval of the other measures provided for by article 76 of the budget plan, which it considers ad personam and this time at the expense of all taxpayers, for the exclusive benefit of the companies awarded the tenders to spread broadband. The association of providers explains in a note that "the legislator intends to compensate, with a good 610 million euros of Italian taxpayers, the supposed extra costs incurred by the concessionaire of the Bul Tenders. Tenders that had been awarded on all lots also following the extremely significant discounts offered at the time, by its own choice and at its own risk, by Open Fiber". "The doubts about the reliability of the economic conditions offered seem confirmed today - adds the Aiip - both by the accumulated multi-year delays, and by the additional tax disbursement foreseen in this Budget Law, presumably functional to rebalancing economic-financial plans that have proven to be unsustainable."
“It is paradoxical – underlines Aiip – to have to witness further public aid towards giants of the sector, presumably considered by politics as 'too big to fail', while pluralistic measures of direct benefit for users-citizens, such as Connectivity Vouchers, remain at a standstill, despite the experience of the past Phase 2 Enterprises having shown their extreme effectiveness in promoting not only demand, but even the development of new optical networks in previously disserviced areas”.
