Summary of broadband development in Spain
The Spain Digital 2025 Agenda supports EU connectivity objectives. It aims to extend ultrafast network coverage to the entire population and prepare 100% of the radio spectrum for 5G by 2025. These objectives are set out in the Plan for Connectivity and Digital Infrastructures and the Strategy to Promote 5G Technology.
National broadband strategy and policy
Responsible authorities
- The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital) is responsible for drafting and coordinating plans, technological programmes and actions to advance connectivity and digital transformation in Spain.
- The National Commission of Markets and Competition (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) is responsible for regulating all markets and productive sectors of the Spanish economy to ensure free competition and consumer protection.
Main aims and measures for broadband development
The Spain Digital 2025 Agenda outlines ten strategic priorities to advance the country's digital transformation in line with EU Gigabit objectives. Regarding broadband, it aims to guarantee 100 Mbps coverage for the entire population by closing the digital gap between urban and rural areas. Moreover, it seeks to advance 5G deployment by preparing the entire radio spectrum accordingly.
To achieve the broadband objectives contained in the Spain Digital 2025 Agenda, the Spanish Government published the Digital Infrastructures and Connectivity Plan and the Strategy for the promotion of 5G technology in December 2020.
The Digital Infrastructures and Connectivity Plan outlines actions to cover 100% of the population with more than 100 Mbps by 2025. It focuses on rural areas that are not covered by the operators’ own deployment plans. Moreover, the plan includes measures to achieve 1 Gbps connectivity in data-intensive industry and research areas.
The Strategy for the promotion of 5G technology complements the national connectivity plan to account for the different level of maturity and transformational impact of 5G compared to, e.g., fibre. The strategy outlines actions to improve spectrum assignment and management, and incentivize 5G deployment and use, including through an updated regulatory and legal framework.
The National Telecommunications and Information Society Observatory (ONTSI) provides public information on the digital transformation to support the assessment and, where necessary, adjustment of measures developed within the framework of the Spain Digital 2025 Agenda.
The roadmap to implement the Connectivity Toolbox includes several measures to reduce costs. The main measures include streamlining permit granting procedures, improving the single information point and increasing the transparency of physical infrastructure.
National and regional broadband financial instruments
- Implementation of the Spain Digital 2025 Agenda between 2020 and 2022 is financed with around €20 billion in public funds, with approximately €15 billion from the various EU programmes and new financing instruments under the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan. This is expected to be complemented by around €50 billion from the private sector.
- The Plan for Connectivity and Digital Infrastructures and the Strategy to Promote 5G Technology is expected to receive €4.3 billion in public funding between 2020 and 2025. It is expected that private investment to the tune of an additional €24 billion will be secured within this period.
- Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP): Spain’s RRP includes significant investments to close the existing digital divide between urban and rural areas in fixed and mobile broadband networks; for example the expansion of ultra-fast broadband connectivity (above 100 Mbps) mainly in rural areas and areas of historical value, which currently do not have such connectivity, will be supported via funding of €812 million. Several measures specifically support 5G connectivity and the plan includes reforms to reduce costs and facilitate deployment.
- Among the RRP measures, the UNICO-Banda Ancha programme has allocated €250 million in the 2021 call to provide ultrafast fixed broadband networks in rural, remoted and less populated areas. This programme is an evolution of the previous national funding programme PEBA-NGA that supported the roll out of next-generation broadband networks in Spain from 2013 to 2020 and was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
- Regarding 5G strategy to incentivize roll out, main relevant financial measures included in the RRP have been set. Among others, the extension of the duration of 700 MHz licences (minimum 20 years with potential 20 years of prorogue) and some taxation reforms, such as the temporary reduction of annual spectrum tax for 5G bands, and the review of the operators´ contributions to the annual tax to finance Spanish public television (TV tax) were introduced. On 15 December 2021, European Commission approved €150 million Spanish scheme under Recovery and Resilience Facility to support deployment of passive infrastructure for mobile networks
Data on broadband development and technologies in Spain
For the latest data on broadband coverage, take-up, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different broadband technologies and costs, check the scoreboard reports and the country reports of the Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI).
Spectrum assignments for wireless broadband
For details on harmonised spectrum assignments consult the European 5G Observatory.
Publications and press documents
English
- Presentation of the Digital Spain 2025 Agenda
- Digital Spain 2025
- Study on National Broadband Plans
- Guide to High-Speed Broadband Investment
- Broadband Connectivity Reports and Analyses
- Mobile and fixed broadband prices in Europe
- Study on broadband coverage in Europe
Spanish
- España Digital 2025
- Plan para la Conectividad y las Infraestructuras Digitales de la sociedad, la economía y los territorios
- Estrategia de Impulso de la Tecnología 5G
Contact information
BCO Spain (national Broadband Competence Office): Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation
Address: Paseo de la Castellana 162, 28046 Madrid, Spain
Contact via email
Phone: +34 91 34 62 721
Website
Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures (Secretaría de Estado Telecomunicaciones e Infraestructuras Digitales)
Address: Paseo de la Castellana 160, 28046 Madrid, Spain
Contact via email
Phone: +34 91 349 46 40
Website
National Commission for Markets and Competition (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia, CNMC)
Address: Alcalá 47, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Contact via email
Phone: +34 91 432 9600
Website
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Big Picture
Find current information on broadband development in each country, as well as national strategies and policies for developing broadband.
See Also
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Lithuania aims to provide 100 Mbps by 2027 to rural areas as well supporting the Gigabit society targets 2025.
Latvia supports the Gigabit society targets and aims at 100 Mbps, upgradable to gigabit, for urban and rural areas as well as 5G coverage for all large urban areas.
The Italian Strategy for Ultra Broadband Towards the Gigabit Society aims to provide gigabit connectivity to all by 2026.
The national broadband plan for Ireland foresees that by 2026 all premises in Ireland will have access to high-speed broadband.
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Cyprus’ broadband plan sets strategic objectives for 2021-2025 and includes legislative and regulatory interventions as well as practical support for the development of broadband infrastructure.
Croatian National Plan for Broadband Development 2021–2027 responds to the European Gigabit Society objectives 2025 and partially to the 2030 digital targets.
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