Spain could become the leader in Southern Europe when it comes to connectivity. This has been made clear in a report by the consultancy firm IDG Research, which was recently unveiled at the Madrid Hub Digital conference.

Though many experts lamented the fact the country had missed the boat a number of decades ago when infrastructure for the ‘first Internet’ was being implemented, they’re now convinced that trend can be completely reversed and set the pace going forward, along with the help of signal distributors, telephone operators, neutral operators and other stakeholders in the telecommunications sector — including the government and public bodies. So how did this change come about?

New demand for connectivity and networks

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly accelerated an ongoing trend towards a real paradigm shift in the digital landscape. Now, it’s absolutely vital to have a connectivity ecosystem able to guarantee coverage among growing demand, not just in terms of user numbers, but also in the quality of connections and their bandwidth. Above all, it’s about being able to call on high-definition audiovisual content, developing high-quality teleconferences and guaranteeing both quick and safe file transfers.

In this way, installing submarine fibre optic connections linking continents, developing Internet via satellite and the definitive deployment of mobile connectivity infrastructure through 5G is putting Spain in an enviable position in comparison to its European partners.

• 71% of Spanish households had access to fibre optic connections in 2019, a figure expected to rise significantly by the end of the current year.
• The Internet giants and co-location providers are expecting cumulative investment of some €680 million over the next five years, which includes – among other initiatives – building new data centres and connectivity infrastructure in Madrid.
• The Spanish capital stands out as the perfect international digital interconnection point, as well as a national economic powerhouse and one of the driving forces in the Spanish government’s Recovery and Economic Resilience Plan.
• The Spanish executive is starting to become aware and more sensitive to the implementation of various strategies designed to strengthen and consolidate the country’s digital economy and in the wider context of the European Union.

 Spain’s role as a leader in European connectivity

As recently confirmed by the Spanish Secretary of State for Telecommunications, Roberto Sánchez, “one of our main objectives has been to promote Spain as a pole of attraction for international connectivity and data infrastructure”. Not forgetting that the focus has been somewhat drawn away from the sector recently, the overall climate remains more or less optimistic, given the progressive coming-together of the private sector with public bodies in the industry, alongside the current government’s particular sensitivity to the issue.

The development of connectivity nodes and infrastructure targeted at digital communications in the Spanish capital, alongside strategic alliances between various organisations and companies – of which Madrid is just one example – promises a bright future for Spanish connectivity. This suggests the country will be firmly in a leadership position at a crucial time for technological transition around the world.