Ultra-broadband

Digital: networks are advancing, but Italia is falling behind in Europe

I-Com study: in terms of infrastructure and services as a whole, the country ranks 15th out of 27 EU Member States. In terms of digital skills and ICT specialists, the target of 80 per cent of the population has been pushed back to 2116

by Andrea Biondi

27 October 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The I-Com Index
The fastest-growing Europe
The advance on the networks
The divide between large companies and SMEs
The Skills Hub

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Italia is making progress, but Europe is moving faster. In the I-Com Ultrabroadband Index 2026, the country’s score has risen from 50 to 55 points, yet its ranking has fallen: from 14th to 15th place amongst the 27 Member States of the European Union. This is a sign that the digital transition is progressing, but without keeping pace with its partners.

The I-Com Index

The index is one of the highlights of the annual Ores report (Observatory on Next-Generation Networks and Services), which will be presented today – 27 October 2026 – at the Chamber of Deputies as part of the conference “ItalIA 2030. Infrastructure, Skills and Technologies for a Country Looking to the Future’, the annual event dedicated to innovation and digital technology organised by the Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com).

This index brings together 22 indicators: ten measure the supply of connectivity infrastructure, and twelve measure the demand for digital services and technologies. Against this backdrop, the ranking confirms Northern Europe’s leading position: Denmark tops the list with 71 points, ahead of the Netherlands (70) and Finland (69).

The fastest-growing Europe

Italia remains some way behind the leaders, but the result must also be viewed in the context of its trajectory: the country has gained five points in a year, but – and this is the downside – without managing to keep pace with the others. The picture reveals a clear gap between the two sides. On the supply side, Italia scores 67 points and ranks 13th; on the demand side, it scores 45 points, ranking 16th, despite having moved up three places.

The figures indicate that, whilst the availability of networks and services is improving in Italia, this has not yet translated into equally widespread and advanced usage. Skills, the digitalisation of businesses and the adoption of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics are areas where there is still work to be done.

The advance on the networks

Networks remain the key strength. 5G coverage reaches 99.8 per cent of households (though here one must always bear in mind the distinction – which is missing from the data underpinning the Report – between ‘standalone’, i.e. ‘pure’ 5G, and ‘non-standalone’, where it is integrated into legacy networks), compared with a European average of 96.8 per cent. In the fixed-line sector, FTTH (fibre to the home) coverage stands at 77.6 per cent, above the EU average of 74.1 per cent. However, coverage of ultra-high-capacity networks as a whole remains at 77.6 per cent: almost eight percentage points below the European average, and the gap widens in rural areas.

Vhcn coverage, with its ultra-high-capacity networks, is therefore still the missing piece of the jigsaw: the country has almost caught up with its 2023 target, but still needs to roll out fibre to less densely populated areas.

The divide between large companies and SMEs

Businesses are also stepping up the pace. 68.1 per cent are adopting cloud services, compared with the European average of 46.7 per cent. The uptake of artificial intelligence has doubled in a year: from 8.2 per cent to 16.4 per cent. Growth is robust, but it is not enough to bridge the gap with Europe, where adoption has reached 20 per cent. And the Italian figure masks a divide between large companies and SMEs: AI is used by 53.1 per cent of the former and 15.7 per cent of the latter. This 37.4-point gap has widened compared with 2024, just as pressure is mounting for advanced technologies to be integrated into production processes.

The Skills Hub

The most difficult hurdle to overcome, however, remains that of skills. In Italia, the proportion of citizens with at least basic skills has risen to 54.3 per cent (+8.5 percentage points compared with 2023), narrowing the gap with the EU average to 6.1 percentage points, but the I-Com projection indicates a figure of 63.5 per cent for 2030 – 16.5 points short of the target – with the 80 per cent mark not expected to be reached until 2039.

The most critical issue concerns ICT specialists, who account for 3.8 per cent of the workforce (down from 4.0 per cent in 2024 and 4.1 per cent in 2023), compared with the 8.4 per cent set out in the national roadmap and the European average of 5 per cent, with women accounting for 16.6 per cent, which is lower than the EU average of 19.5 per cent. Based on historical trends, the target, in this case, would only be achieved in 2116.

Andrea BiondiVicecaposervizio
Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: Italiano, Inglese, Francese
Argomenti: Finanza, Media, Telecomunicazioni, Economia dell'entertainment, Innovazione
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