5G for Smart Communities Support Platform

The European Commission has awarded funding to 6 projects (EU contribution: EUR 53 million), following the fourth call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility – Digital (CEF Digital) programme.

These projects will facilitate new use cases in various sectors. Collaborations between operators, including local and alternative, and project consortia will test connected computing network systems, explore new business models, and find ways to create value with 5G standalone connectivity.

5G.Connect extends high-speed 5G services to rural Northern Portugal with two dimensions:

• The first centers on the Douro River waterway, introducing new navigation control and tourism services.

• The second targets the municipalities within the four intermunicipal communities, deploying innovative services in the fields of climate action, heritage preservation, and active aging.

Sectors: civil protection, climate action, heritage preservation, and active aging

Network type: The initiative originates from the collaboration between a mobile network operator and a shared infrastructure provider, both dedicated to delivering Gigabit Neutral Host Infrastructure, 5G Standalone capabilities, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) functionalities in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

• Lead entity: DSTELECOM

• EU Contribution: € 7 831 614

5G-BRIDGE will bring advanced 5G technology to underserved areas in Greece, including remote villages and islands.

Education: It will improve over 50 remote schools with digital tools such as augmented reality and digital twins to enhance learning.

Healthcare: 5G networks will enable services such as drone-based delivery of medical supplies, telemedicine, and remote monitoring.

Public safety and logistics: advanced fire detection, UAV-assisted monitoring, and AI-powered emergency response systems.

Environmental monitoring: Energy and environmental monitoring solutions will also be integrated to support more sustainable and resilient communities.

Sectors: Healthcare, Education/Research, Environmental Monitoring

Network type: advanced 5G Standalone (SA) infrastructures

• Lead entity: Wings

• EU Contribution: € 6 941 625

5mart Ho5pital aims to establish a large-scale "hybrid" 5G SA network within a hospital, equipped with indoor antennas and AI-ready edge cloud capabilities, highlighting its socio-economic and environmental impacts.

Covering five geographical sites and 18 buildings, and addressing 10 use cases across seven medical services, this comprehensive pilot tackles essential challenges: the quality of care, patient and staff welfare, innovation in healthcare, performance, and security.

Sectors: Healthcare

Network type: The pilot will install a 5G network in the University Hospital Centre of Bordeaux, featuring AI-ready technologies to support various healthcare applications, including those that require advanced data processing.

• Lead entity: BOUYGUES TELECOM SA

• EU Contribution: € 11 324 145

NextGen 5G Airports aims to deploy 5G infrastructure in three Croatian airports (Zagreb, Pula and Zadar), all open for domestic and international flights, in order to establish leading-edge connectivity capable of large data processing, sharing and analytics which will allow the modernisation of traffic, logistic and day to day operations.

Innovative use cases that will be implemented within this project include:

1. Advanced digital technology in regular airport inspection and security screening operations;

2. Introduction of VR/AR technology for airport infrastructure maintenance and for education on critical airport operations, equipment and infrastructure;

3. Digitalisation and optimisation of work processes and documentation including secure real-time data share and communication;

4. Optimisation of cargo handling/management processes.

Sectors: Transport/Logistics, Education/Research

Network type: The overall objective of this project is to enhance the level and quality of public services provided by three Croatian airports located in cities of Zagreb, Pula and Zadar by deploying dedicated private 5G network.

• Lead entity: HRVATSKI TELEKOM DD

• EU Contribution: € 3 099 008.25

5G-SHARE a transformative, strategic leap in educational and research technology across Europe, uniting a consortium of 9 partners from 4 countries (Ireland, Romania, Czech Republic, and Italy), including 4 leading universities. The project will set a new benchmark for high-impact 5G-powered education and research across Europe, deploying scalable, large scale, cross-border pilots involving thousands of users that drive innovation, connectivity, and cybersecurity while shaping the future of EU society, academia, industry, and digital ecosystems.

A flagship initiative within the project, the Hybrid XR Learning use case, will be jointly developed across all university partners, engaging a vast network of students and faculty members while contributing to a shared content library for immersive education.

Pioneering use cases:

1. Extended Reality (XR) in education

2. Internet of Things (IoT) advancements

3. 3D content streaming

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven applications

5. Next-generation Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

Sectors: Education/Research

Network type: The Universities will benefit from interconnected advanced 5G standalone mobile private networks to improve educational and research collaboration through secure cross-border data exchange and real-time applications.

• Lead entity: ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

• EU Contribution: € 12 281 625

5G-SESAMO aims to speed up the use of 5G infrastructure for mobility, healthcare, logistics, and emergency services. It highlights practical 5G applications for industry and urban areas.

Use cases include:

1. advanced logistics

2. drone deliveries

3. smart mobility solutions

4. telemedicine

5. improved emergency response systems.

The project will also explore innovative approaches such as secure communications through Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and remote artificial intelligence training via High-Performance Computing (HPC).

Sectors: Healthcare, Education/Research, Mobility, Logistics, Emergency Response

Network type: The action aims to establish a scalable and interoperable 5G infrastructure in Italy, capable of supporting both industrial applications and public services. It seeks to enhance efficiency, safety, and security in strategic sectors by integrating 5G Standalone networks, hybrid federated networks, edge computing, and cloud services.

• Lead entity: MOST - Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile

• EU Contribution: € 11 707 500