Asteo’s Spain-Portugal Fiber Project Selected by CEF Digital

Asteo, News

Asteo Red Neutra has been selected as one of 56 European projects to receive funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital program, promoted by the European Commission through HADEA, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. The program has awarded a total of €389 million for the deployment of next-generation digital infrastructures across Europe, and Asteo is one of only four Spanish companies to benefit.

 

  • The 56 selected European projects have been awarded a total of €389 million to deploy cutting-edge digital infrastructures, and Asteo is one of only four Spanish companies to benefit

  • The neutral telecommunications operator will use this capital to develop its long-distance transmission line through alternative routes to the existing ones

  • The CEF Digital program funds both feasibility studies and deployment projects across the EU

 

Asteo Red Neutra has obtained a grant of €6,500,000 to support its VENUS Spain-Portugal project. The project aims to strengthen the long-distance transmission network (backbone) across rural areas and facilitate the development of two new alternative long-distance transmission routes equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will connect Madrid and Portugal, ensuring the necessary connectivity capacity between Madrid and Portugal. equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will connect Madrid and Portugal, ensuring the necessary connectivity capacity between these two strategic European regions.

“Being selected for the CEF Digital program is a recognition of our vision. It is a boost to our mission to improve connectivity across the country, especially in rural areas, while also strengthening major digital infrastructures that enable more efficient data management and more robust and resilient networks in critical situations. In terms of digital infrastructure, the current challenge is to improve three key aspects: increasing transmission capacity, enhancing connectivity between computing hubs, and, crucially, ensuring redundancy of that connectivity. Asteo’s long-distance network design critically reinforces these three factors in the Iberian Peninsula”, said Pedro Abad, Asteo’s CEO.

CEF Digital funds support strategic projects across Europe in areas including the deployment of resilient digital networks, large-scale 5G pilots, and advanced technologies such as European quantum communication (EuroQCI). The program finances both feasibility studies and deployment projects throughout the European Union, accelerating digital transformation in key sectors.

Asteo Red Neutra is supported by the private infrastructure fund CEBF (Connecting Europe Broadband Fund), which focuses on investing in the development of ultra-broadband networks to extend connectivity across rural and semi-rural areas in Europe.

 

 

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Patricia Moreno Pacheco

Deployment Manager Director

Trained as an architect at the University of Seville and with international experience after her studies at the Leibniz Universität Hannover, she has a multidisciplinary technical profile. He stands out for his analytical capacity and leadership in telecommunications infrastructures, providing a highly consolidated strategic vision.

Her career began in civil architecture, working as a Municipal Architect and energy certifier. In 2017 she oriented her career towards the telco sector by joining Nokia as FTTx Network Design Engineer. For five years, he participated in large multinational deployments for operators in the USA, Italy, Chile, the Philippines and Germany. Later, at Inelcom, he took over team management and implementation support for the German UGG network, mastering the construction and last mile phases. All this international supervisory experience brought her to Asteo Red Neutra in 2023, where she manages field operations as Deployment Manager.

Away from blueprints and fiber optics, he is an active person who likes to enjoy his free time. He is passionate about climbing, paddle tennis and traveling, always looking for new environments to disconnect.

Laura Díaz

Marketing & Communications Director

With 20 years of experience, Laura has developed the communication strategy for national and international companies. Since the official launch of ASTEO Red Neutra, she has led its communication and content strategy as an external consultant, until her incorporation to the team.

She started her career as a journalist in the IT sector. She specialised in Communication, advising companies in various sectors (banking, asset management, private equity, insurance and insurtech or telecommunications). She led Evercom's Financial Communication department, in charge of the area's growth strategy and the management of the team and clients.

She graduated in journalism from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, in Venezuela, took the ABC-UCM master's degree in journalism, and complemented her education with studies in International Business at Dublin Business School, and sustainability at the University of Cambridge.

Married to Santi, she is the mother of two children and, whenever she has some free time, she loves going swimming and to the cinema or enjoying long dinners with friends.