CEF Digital funding is expected to move forward and accelerate large-scale deployment of 5G corridors to support the adoption of CAM, including driving with higher levels of automation and the digitalisation of rail operations as well as other relevant modes of transport. Funding may also support the deployment of Future Rail Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) and trackside and associated on-board equipment related to critical automatic train control systems and applications (ETCS and/or ATO).

By closing the deployment gaps, removing capacity bottlenecks and technical barriers, and ensuring service continuity across the border, the deployment of 5G corridors would contribute to strengthening the social, economic, and territorial cohesion in the EU.

The overall goal of this call is to leverage the needed private investment in order to establish a full pan-European road and railway network of 5G corridors by the end of the CEF programme (2027).

More specifically, the objective is to fund the first larger wave of deployment projects deriving from inception studies co-funded in the first call (CEF-DIG-2021-5GCORRIDORS-STUDIES) or building on other types of studies or based on results generated by on-going R&I 5G cross-border corridor trial projects conducted across the EU under Horizon 2020.

Projects funded under this call are expected to:

• Deploy 5G systems along transport paths for enabling the development of Connected and Automated Mobility, including automated rail and waterway operations, with the overall view to contribute to the green and digital transition of the EU.
• Reaching uninterrupted coverage meeting service requirements for Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM), Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Future Railway Mobile Communications Systems FRMCS), River Information Systems (RIS) and also for multi-service/multi-application 5G services along European transport paths, including high-value commercial services (e.g. infotainment, mobile office).
• 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. In this sense, projects may encompass roads, rail, and inland waterways, and if appropriate in multimodal combination with other modes of transport (including for example use cases for smart logistics in multimodal logistic platforms and ports, etc).

The priority of this call will be to support investment in cross-border sections of a Member State with one or more Member States or associated countries with higher funding rate (see section 10 of the call text).

Exceptionally, when there is no terrestrial border with another Member State, 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.

This topic targets actions that support investments in challenging areas, where market forces alone will not be capable of delivering 5G services with the required quality of service.

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, towers, masts and/or 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.
• Studies for preparatory works, such as network planning, to be deployed as part of proposed works within the same application.

The 5G connectivity infrastructure deployment proposed for funding under this call may encompass both passive and active network elements along transport paths.

In the case of passive network infrastructure deployment projects consisting mainly of fiber backhauling, the proposal should clearly demonstrate the concrete plans for its use in the context of 5G infrastructure and services, in particular with regard to the installation of the necessary equipment and associated facilities enabling the interconnection with points of presence and points of access to 5G stations and other relevant network elements (e.g., edge nodes).

Proposals must not cover more than 15% of the total length of all the TEN-T comprehensive corridors of the same category (road, rail or waterways) per Member State concerned by the proposal and other projects funded by the CEF Digital programme.

Please consult the call document for more information on the scope, including digital security requirements.