Over the previous three years, 5G protection has expanded by 37 proportion factors nationwide, in response to a authorities report
In sum – what it is advisable know:
Rural 5G surges – 5G protection in rural areas has tripled in three years, reaching 80% of the inhabitants, up from simply 26% in 2021.
Nationwide 5G milestone – Total cellular 5G now reaches 96% of Spain’s inhabitants, a 37-point soar since 2021, with extra progress anticipated by means of the UNICO 5G SA program.
Billions for small-town rollout – Almost €670 million in public funding is accelerating standalone 5G enlargement in cities beneath 10,000 folks.
5G cellular networks lined 96% of the Spanish inhabitants as of mid-2024, marking an increase of over 3.5 proportion factors in comparison with the earlier yr, in response to a brand new authorities report on nationwide connectivity.
The Broadband Protection Report in Spain, revealed by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, outlines the progress of broadband and 5G deployment throughout the nation as of June 2024. Over the previous three years, 5G protection has expanded by 37 proportion factors nationwide.
Protection is predicted to develop even additional as soon as ongoing initiatives beneath the UNICO 5G Lively Networks Program are finalized. Almost €670 million ($766 million) was awarded by means of requires proposals in March and mid-2024 to speed up 5G Standalone deployments in cities with fewer than 10,000 residents, with a big portion targeted on the three.5 GHz band.
The connectivity report additionally famous important positive factors within the 3.4–3.8 GHz frequency bands — designated by the EU as a precedence for 5G — with protection rising by 16 proportion factors previously yr.
In only one yr, 3.5 GHz 5G protection in rural zones grew by over 12 proportion factors, reaching 23% at end-June 2024. Extra broadly, rural 5G protection has tripled since 2021, rising from 26% to 80% by 2024. Between June 2023 and June 2024 alone, rural protection expanded by 11 proportion factors.
Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Service Óscar López mentioned: “Spain is a pacesetter in connectivity in Europe, and to attain this, public-private collaboration has been key. Germany has wonderful 5G protection, however in some areas of Bavaria, protection nonetheless didn’t attain 20% in 2024. This Authorities is dedicated to territorial cohesion, and that’s the reason now we have designed packages that can enhance 5G protection within the smallest municipalities.”
In January 2025, Spanish telco Telefonica mentioned it was delivering 5G protection to greater than 90% of the Spanish inhabitants.
Movistar, which is a part of telecom group Telefonica, had launched 5G Standalone (SA) protection in Spain in July 2023.
Movistar initially launched 5G SA in 11 Spanish cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ávila, Segovia, Castellón, El Ferrol and Vigo. The service anticipated to have intensive 5G SA protection in most cities with greater than 250,000 inhabitants by the top of 2023.
Movistar’s 5G SA community, whose core was supplied by Nordic distributors Ericsson and Nokia, operates within the 3.5 GHz band and ensures looking speeds of as much as 1,600 Mbps.
MasOrange, the biggest cellular operator in Spain by prospects, has not too long ago introduced the deployment of what it ciaims to be the nation’s first 5G Superior (5G-A) community in Seville.
MasOrange famous that its 5G Superior community is a serious enhancement of the present 5G Standalone (SA) community, developed in collaboration with Huawei. The community is not going to solely enhance connectivity but additionally introduce new capabilities comparable to network-based sensing, enhanced voice companies and expanded help for Web of Issues (IoT) purposes.
5G Superior may also enhance connectivity for drones and balloons, extending protection to distant areas, which is vital in emergency conditions or for drone deliveries. It additionally enhances help for personal networks and consists of native AI capabilities, the telco added.
