If Spain is serious about establishing itself as a genuine player in Europe’s economic development, it has to go all in on the digital transformation, among other equally important interdisciplinary strategies. But for this “driver of transformation” to be truly effective, the Internet must be an accessible and functional resource wherever you happen to live or work. To that end, vast swathes of rural Spain need to find an alternative to wired or wireless connectivity, and satellite Internet could just be the answer. In fact, it could easily be the most viable option for massively extending the network into places where there’s currently a lack of infrastructure or serious geographic obstacles.

A specific programme supplying high-quality Internet to rural communities

One of the most important sources of funding when trying to get Internet to the furthest reaches of the nation comes from Spain’s 2026 Digital Plan. More specifically, the rural development component of the UNICO Programme. As part of this programme – and thanks to government funding for Hispasat – infrastructure will soon be deployed bringing satellite Internet closer to parts of Spain where connectivity is in most urgent need, with a monthly cost for users of €35 for broadband up to 100MB, set to reach 200MB by next year.

Vital equipment to access satellite Internet and the cost

Because Hispasat is a wholesale service provider, various operators offer different packages for accessing the Internet by satellite. Either way, you’ll always need the following equipment to be able to connect to satellite Internet:

• Satellite modem (HT20X0/HT20X0W)

• Tría/ODU (HB210-L) tuner

• Antenna (74cm/90cm)

• Azimuth/elevation control for the antenna

• Mast

• Coaxial cable

The maximum price for users is €35 per month, including taxes. But there are also subsidies available up to a maximum of €600, covering the costs of equipment, installation and setup. As for data consumption, Hispasat sets a limit of 150GB per month in total. Once you’ve reached 150GB, the service won’t suddenly cut off, but users will be lower priority when it comes to accessing available resources on the satellite resource platform.

If users exceed their monthly data limit, they can purchase additional “extra” data packages through their retailer to remove the priority limit imposed by excessive consumption. It’s important to remember that, depending on the province and locality in question, available retailers may vary. You can see the full list here.

Satellite Internet, a great opportunity for “depopulated Spain”

Accessing satellite Internet and making the most of it can be a real turbocharger when it comes to the development of many rural parts of so-called “hollowed-out Spain”, or “depopulated Spain”. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, recently unveiled the UNICO “Rural Development Conéctate35” programme in the small town of Hita in Guadalajara.

In a speech, Calviño said that “from now on, people in rural parts of the country will have the same rights as those in Spain’s cities, as they will also be able to live their lives and do their work online by accessing digital connectivity”, something she considers key for social inclusion. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, “this is a model for providing high-speed satellite connectivity that could serve as an example to the rest of the world and also be the first step in deploying these types of services in Latin America”.