The European Commission is set to propose investing almost ?9.2bn (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union.
The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.
It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.
The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.
It aims to get all European households on at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, with half the population enjoying more than 100Mbps, so as to make the continent more competitive and productive.
Economic need
The BBC understands that the EU's executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.
The plan would have to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers if it were to become reality.
"Europe needs these fast broadband networks to allow its economy to become more competitive in the future, and so create more jobs and prosperity," EU sources said.
"This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more."
At least ?7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.
The hope is that giving infrastructure projects credibility in this way would encourage the private sector, as well as local and national governments, to invest at least a further ?50bn in the rollout.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15320628