You can have fiber optics under your house and find yourself without reception a few kilometers away. It is the digital paradox of Sardinia, where the spread of ultra-fast connections proceeds at a rapid pace, while mobile telephony coverage continues to leave vast portions of territory uncovered. With consequences that not only concern the possibility of surfing the Internet, but also safety on the roads, tourism and economic activities.
This situation is illustrated by an investigation by Nuova Sardegna, which crosses the data of the Communications Regulatory Authority (Agcom) with that of Infratel, the public company in charge of implementing ultra-broadband programmes.
Fixed connections
In terms of fixed connections, the island has made a notable leap. In January 2025, FTTH fiber, the one that reaches homes directly, reached approximately 59% of families. According to the Agcom update for the third quarter of 2026, coverage rose to 88.05%, more than five points above the national average of 82.92%. Sardinia thus moved from the last positions to sixth place among the Italian regions.
But it is enough to move outside the population centers for the scenario to change. According to Infratel mapping, at the end of 2024 around 80,400 hectares on the island were without mobile coverage, equivalent to 804 square kilometres. It is the largest discovered surface in Italy. Despite subsequent improvements, Sardinia still contains, according to data reported by Nuova Sardegna, 17% of the Italian areas without signal.
The quality of the signals
Connection quality is also an issue. In almost a quarter of the regional territory, 24.5%, the peak speed of the mobile network does not exceed 30 megabits per second, compared to the 18.4% national average. And 5G coverage, according to data from previous Infratel mapping, stopped at 66.8% of the regional surface area, compared to 71.7% in Italy.
The problem also concerns security. Last August Ivan Mameli, mayor of Bari Sardo, a municipality in Ogliastra, denounced the absence of telephone coverage in various sections of the state roads 125 and 389, especially in the tunnels, where the difficulty of calling for help represents a safety problem. The Region has recognized the criticality, underlining the possible consequences on emergency communications. Similar difficulties are also reported along state road 131, one of the main arteries of the island.
The inequalities
Inequalities are particularly evident in rural areas. In Gallura and Medio Campidano, fiber coverage remains below the national average, while in the countryside, very high capacity fixed infrastructures reach 78.4% of families, compared to 87.3% in Italy. Small and medium-sized businesses are also penalized: only 74.9% is reached by fiber, a share that drops to 63.5% in Southern Sardinia.
To address the problem, the Region has allocated another 3 million euros for the two-year period 2026-2027, intended for the construction of cable ducts, pylons and other infrastructures that allow operators to extend networks in isolated territories. Funding can reach up to 150 thousand euros per municipality. The measure adds to the first million allocated in 2025, with which interventions in nine municipalities were financed, to be completed by 2027.
The unknown of national funding
However, the unknown of national funding remains. In June the Pnrr's Italy 5G Plan was remodulated, reducing the areas affected by the interventions from 1,385 to 973. The consortium led by Inwit claims to have nevertheless achieved the European coverage objective set by the program, thanks to a different infrastructure design. It is unclear, however, what effect the review will have on Sardinia, where 18 new sites in 22 areas were initially planned.
Meanwhile, the Region has allocated another 5 million euros to digital facilitation points, to maintain the over 135 branches already activated and open up to 60 new ones. They will serve to help citizens use online services, including, in the future, healthcare bookings and choosing a doctor.
But the island's digital divide remains first and foremost an infrastructure problem. Because being able to access a digital service is of little use if, when you leave home, the connection disappears.
