The country's digital transition is advancing, but Italy is losing ground in Europe. The I-Com Ultrabroadband Index 2026 shows that Italy's score has risen from 50 to 55 points, but its ranking has dropped from 14th to 15th place among the 27 EU member states. It is the signal of a digital transition that is advancing, but without connecting partners.

The index is one of the strengths of the annual report Ores (Observatory on Networks and New Generation Services) which will be presented today - October 27, 2026 - at the Chamber of Deputies within the context of the conference 'ItalIA 2030. Infrastructure, Competences and Technologies for a Country Projected Towards the Future', the annual event dedicated to innovation and digital organized by the Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com). To be put together in this index are 22 indicators: ten measure the availability of connectivity infrastructures, twelve measure the demand for digital services and technologies.

In this framework, the grading confirms the primacy of Northern Europe: Denmark is first with 71 points, followed by the Netherlands (70) and Finland (69). Italy remains behind the leaders, but the result must be read also in dynamics: the country has gained five points in one year, but – and this is the negative part – without being able to keep pace with others. The photo shows a clear difference between the two fronts.

On the offer front, Italy reaches 67 points and is placed at the 13th position; on the demand side, it stops at 45 points, at the 16th position, even gaining three positions. The data indicates that the availability of networks and services, which in Italy is advancing, does not yet translate into a more widespread and advanced use. Competences, digitalization of enterprises, adoption of cloud, artificial intelligence and data analysis are aspects that still need to be worked on.

Networks remain the strength point. The coverage of 5G reaches 99.8% of families (here, always taking into account the distinction, i.e., pure 5G and non standalone when integrated on legacy networks), against an average European media of 96.8%. In fixed broadband, FTTH (fibre to the home) reaches 77.6%, above the 74.1% of the EU.

But the overall coverage of high-capacity networks remains at 77.6%: almost eight points below the European average, and the gap widens in rural areas. The coverage of Vhcn, with high-capacity networks, is therefore the incomplete tassel: the country has almost caught up with the 2023 lag but still needs to bring fibre to less dense areas. Enterprises accelerate.

The 68.1% adopt cloud services, against the 46.7% of the European average. In one year, the diffusion of artificial intelligence doubles: from 8.2% to 16.4%. The result shows that the digital transition is advancing, but Italy loses ground in Europe.

Italy advances in terms of infrastructure and competences, but lacks the digital competences necessary to maintain pace with other countries.