(Telecompaper) Italy's Court of Auditors has finally freed up EUR 2.2 billion of public funds to begin work on the country's EUR 12 billion broadband expansion plan after the Council of Ministers passed the corresponding bill last month. The Court confirmed that priority would be given to southern rural zones (clusters C and D) that have been hitherto unable to attract private investment. However, only EUR 40 million of funds will be available next year, with EUR 350 million coming in 2017 and 2018, EUR 400 million in 2019, EUR 450 million in 2020 and 2021, and EUR 160 million in 2022. The announcement suggests the government has delayed its target of bringing high-speed broadband of 100 Mbps to 85 percent of Italy's population and 30 Mbps broadband to the rest of the country by two years, from 2020 to 2022.