Municipalities in Moldova can nominate up to five public sites in one locality for free Wi-Fi. On November 9, 2026, the Government of the Republic of Moldova presented the EU-funded WiFi4MD programme at a digital connectivity meeting in Chișinău. The Moldovan government put the EU funding at €1 million for at least 30 localities. The application portal dates the opening of the call to November 2. Selected municipalities are expected to pick up recurring costs after the first funded year.
Key facts
- Local authorities can apply until 11:59 p.m. Chișinău time on December 15, 2026.
- Each authority can submit one application for one locality, with up to five sites listed in order of priority.
- Funding requires at least 60 of 100 points overall, including at least 15 for connectivity need.
- Municipalities must commit to keeping the service running for at least two years after the EU-funded period.
Which localities and sites can qualify?
The European Commission expressed its intention to support a network of free public Wi-Fi access points at the Moldova–EU summit in July 2025. The November launch turned that commitment into a programme with an application deadline and selection rules. WiFi4MD is delivered through EU4Innovation East, in cooperation with Moldova’s Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization. Expertise France implements the regional project, which is funded by the EU and co-funded by the French government. The €1 million figure is for WiFi4MD.
Local authorities in the Republic of Moldova can apply, including those in the autonomous region of Gagauzia. An authority can nominate one village, commune, town or municipality. A mayor can submit the application or sign an authorisation for a municipal employee or local councillor to do it. Residents are among the intended users of the service, while the local authority is responsible for proposing the sites and keeping the service going after funding ends.
The programme identifies squares, libraries, cultural centres, schools and municipal buildings as possible locations. An eligible location has to be accessible to the public and lack a comparable free public Wi-Fi service. The proposal therefore concerns access points in shared places. The application asks for specific public locations and provides no route for individual households to request a home connection through WiFi4MD.
The local authority has to show that it has the right to install equipment, for example through a document establishing its control over the site or the owner’s consent. It must also show that power, technical access and a connection are feasible. Photographs, a sketch and information about the power supply help with that assessment. Municipalities are not expected to obtain a quote from an internet provider for the application. The programme overview says the contracted provider will carry out the technical assessment. If a municipality proposes several sites, it ranks them in the order it wants them considered.
An authority can save the application as a draft while it prepares the municipal profile, site details and supporting records. Once it submits the application, the programme says it will receive an application number and a copy of the completed form.
How applications are scored
A complete application submitted on time with eligible sites is the starting point for assessment. The portal gives five scoring categories. Evaluators consider whether a place lacks access, how many people might use it, what public events it hosts and whether the authority can keep the service running. The point limits apply to the assessment of an application.
| Criterion | Maximum points | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity need | 30 | Lack of free public Wi-Fi and priority for underserved areas |
| Reach and demand | 25 | Population in the 2024 census, users and public events |
| Continuity | 20 | Budget planning, named responsibilities and work with the provider |
| Community benefit | 15 | Importance of the site, intended uses and inclusion |
| Feasibility | 10 | Eligible sites and confirmation of the priority location |
The 15-point minimum for connectivity need is a separate condition within the 60-point threshold. An application can therefore score enough overall and still fall short on need. A small locality can also apply. The programme uses population as a factor in scoring and explicitly says that 500 residents is not an eligibility threshold. A local authority can make the case for a site that matters to its community even where the population is small.
Who pays once the equipment is in place?
The programme says it pays for technical assessment, design, equipment and installation. During the funded period it also covers managed operation, network security and maintenance. The local authority must make the site available and provide electricity. It names a contact to work with the provider and has to protect the equipment at the location.
The application must already show how the authority can maintain service for at least two years after the funded period. That includes a recurring-cost plan and evidence that funding is available. After the first year the local authority has to cover costs such as connectivity and electricity. Keeping access free for users therefore depends on the municipality budgeting for the ongoing service.
Local authorities have until December 15 to file their applications online in Romanian or Russian. The programme then checks eligibility and selects the beneficiaries. Technical site assessments, installation, testing and activation follow in the next phase. For residents, the selection will establish which public locations are in line for a connection before any access points go live.
