During the 2014-2020 programming period, operations such as broadband roll out, may receive support from one or more European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds, or from one or more programmes, or from other Union instruments, provided that the expenditure item included in a request for payment for reimbursement is not paid twice.

This approach is based on the principle of shared management applicable to all ESI Funds. The complementarity of funds provides a maximum of flexibility and synergy in using available means. This will also help to cover the maximum of the rural and remote areas lagging behind from a digital divide point of view with fast and ultra-fast broadband.

The Rural Development Programme of England for 2014-2020 indicates that by 2017, England expects to achieve 95.5% coverage of superfast broadband. England foresees to use the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to address this issue in its current Rural Development Programme.

EAFRD and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can be used in combination to provide targeted support to help extend access to broadband in the final hard to reach areas. With regard to the ERDF, funding may be used to co-invest with private investors and other public funders in superfast and ultrafast broadband infrastructure aligned with the EU2020 digital agenda targets and support demand stimulation measures with a particular attention to the support needed by SMEs to take advantage of the benefits of broadband and Information and communication technologies.

It is up to the English authorities to decide how they will combine different sources of funds to achieve their goals.