When it comes to high-speed network connectivity, Spain is one of the most advanced countries in the whole of Europe. In a bid to maintain their world-leading position, operators in the sector expect to be able to offer full fibre optic coverage by the end of 2024. According to data from the European Commission’s 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, Spain ranks in the top 10 of EU states in all four areas being assessed – human capital, connectivity, integration of digital technology and digital public services. Spain’s score of 8.5 points is above the European average, putting the Spaniards in seventh place overall.

Maintaining good network connectivity infrastructure has been key to achieving these enviable results. Over the past twenty years, the efforts — and progress — made throughout Spain have been remarkable. Investing in jobs, technology and capital has now begun to bear the fruit that will be hugely significant in maintaining Spain’s competitiveness on both an international and domestic scale.

The unstoppable force of fibre optic over two decades

Advances in fibre optic over the past 20 years in Spain have been remarkable and transformative. In the early 2000s, Spain was beginning to lag behind in terms of adopting fibre optic technology, compared to other European nations. However, as the first decade of the 21st century went on, Spain’s telecommunications sector experienced something of a revolution.

The mass rollout of fibre optic networks became a priority for all the major telecommunications operators in the country. This led to a rapid increase in the availability of ultra-fast broadband in homes and businesses across the nation. Bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona led the way in terms of expanding the technology, but it soon spread to much more rural and remote spots, narrowing the digital divide and providing high-speed Internet access to previously underserved regions as it went.

This technological boom not only improved the everyday lives of Spanish citizens, but also boosted the country’s economy. It became a crucial factor for development in a wide range of sectors, including online learning, e-commerce and business innovation. What’s more, it strengthened Spain’s competitiveness on the international stage, attracting investment and encouraging new technology firms to spring up all over the place.

Mobile technology and rural blackspots… the next key battlegrounds

Both public and private investment are still required to get Spain over the line in achieving its target of being fully digitalised by the year 2025. In their 2025 Digital Spain Plan, the Spanish government talks about “the implementation of structural reforms, delivered through approximately fifty measures, which will mobilise a significant volume of public and private investment”.

They also predict that “initiatives funded by public money are expected to cost in the region of €20 billion, of which approximately €15 billion will come from various EU programmes and new funding mechanisms. In a moderate rollout scenario, around €50 billion worth of investment from the private sector is expected”.

These strategic steps include a drive towards early adoption of 5G wireless network connectivity, as well as associated services, particularly in geographic areas and economic contexts where a firm commitment to digitalisation will bring greater and more immediate benefits. This is all the more important given that reducing the digital divide between rural spots and large population centres has been – and continues to be – a major concern for Spanish politicians and telecommunications operators.