Telefónica said its 5G network provides coverage in 1,719 towns and cities across Spain

Spanish telecom operator Telefónica’s 5G network currently covers 83% of the Spanish population, the telco said in a release.

The operator said its 5G network provides coverage in 1,719 towns and cities across Spain.

The telco also noted that nearly 1,700 towns and cities in Spain are covered by its 700MHz 5G service, which had been activated in February of this year.  

The Spanish government had raised a total of 1.1 billion euros (currently $1.17 billion) in the 700 MHz spectrum auction, with local operators Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange securing these key frequencies to expand 5G services. Vodafone and Orange had also launched 5G via 700MHz frequencies in the country. The government said that each license will have a duration of 20 years, rising to a maximum of 40 years.

Telefónica was awarded a block of 2×10 MHz of spectrum for a total amount of 310 million euros.

“The 700 MHz band is the perfect complement to the 3.5 GHz band in which Telefónica also operates and which already reaches more than 300 municipalities,” the telco said.

The Spanish government aims for 75% of the population to have 5G coverage by 2025 through the bands that have been identified as priorities: 694-790 MHz, 3.4-3.8 GHz and 24.25-27.5 GHz.

In July 2021, Telefónica officially announced its decision to award the contracts to deploy its 5G standalone radio networks across Spain to Nordic vendors Ericsson and Nokia.

Telefónica has recently completed its 5G spectrum with the acquisition of five blocks of 200 MHz in the 26 GHz band for a total amount of 20 million euros.

“The acquired spectrum that can be deployed from 2023 will serve to offer use cases that require high speeds and performance and lower latencies, which will catalyze the development of innovative applications both in the industrial environment and aimed at the general public that will place Spain at the forefront of digitization,” the telco added.

Rival operators Vodafone and Orange have also secured spectrum in the 26 GHz band. Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange have bid for nine concessions at the state level, for a total of 1,800 MHz. At the regional level, local carrier Globe Operator Telecom had bid for a concession in Castilla-León region.

The Spanish government confirmed it raised a total of 36.2 million euros in the auction. The concessions will have a duration of 20 years, extendable only once for another 20 years.

The government was initially expecting to award a total of 12 national concessions in the 25.10-27.50 GHz band, and 38 regional concessions in the 24.70-25.10 GHz band.