Telefonica Espana (Movistar) has announced the launch of a ‘5G+’, or ‘Pure 5G’, network in Spain, noting that customers will be able to enjoy 5G Standalone (SA) connectivity automatically and at no additional cost in the areas covered. 

Initially, Movistar has rolled out 5G SA in eleven cities – Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Avila, Segovia, Castellon, El Ferrol and Vigo – with a view to extending coverage to most cities with populations of 250,000-plus and many smaller towns by the end of the year.

The operator’s 5G+ launch complements its 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) service, which has been live since September 2020 and uses the 3.5GHz and 700MHz bands (added last year) to deliver coverage to more than 85% of the population. 

Broken down, more than 700 municipalities are served by 3.5GHz – a figure it hopes to boost to 1,000 by end-2023 – while more than 2,200 municipalities are blanketed with 700MHz which offers a number of advantages such as improved indoor coverage.