The Spanish government is keenly aware that in order to overcome the current economic crisis, the country will have to shift their focus of attention and start making long-term, decisive investments now. The Spanish executive believes that exploiting the potential of connectivity and technological development is the perfect catalyst for promoting change in the country’s economic paradigm.

Although neutral operators like lyntia are already working to further expand use of fibre optic throughout Spain, the government now wants to give this technology, along with 5G, a significant boost so they can be rolled out fully in a very short space of time. This has been made clear in Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which anticipates an injection of some €4 billion by 2023 to promote fibre optic, 5G and cybersecurity, among a number of other key strategic resources.

Spain’s four-year connectivity goal

One of the key instruments of the country’s recovery plan is the roadmap provided by Digital Spain 2025. This strategy incorporates a set of measures, reforms and investments, all built around ten strategic areas of focus that are aligned with the digital policies set out by the European Commission for our new reality.

The actions that make up the Agenda are all aimed at promoting more sustainable and inclusive growth, driven by synergies from digital and ecological transitions, that will affect society as a whole. The ten areas of focus are:

• Guaranteeing adequate digital connectivity for 100% of the population with 100Mbps coverage by 2025.
• Leading the rollout of 5G technology in Europe, ensuring the entire radio spectrum is ready for a full rollout in just four years.
• Increasing digital skills among workers and the general public.
• Strengthening Spain’s cybersecurity capacities, providing the business world with 20,000 new specialists in cybersecurity, AI and data before the target date.
• Promoting the digitalisation of public bodies until at least 50% of public services are available via mobile app within four years.
• Accelerating the digitalisation of businesses, paying special attention to micro SMEs and startups.
• Digitalising production models through sector-transforming projects leading to structural changes.
• Making Spain attractive as a European destination for business, work, and investment in the audiovisual sector.
• Promoting the transition to a data economy, ensuring security and privacy whilst taking advantage of all the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.
• Guaranteeing the rights of citizens in the new digital world by producing a ‘digital bill of rights’ before 2025 comes around.

‘Fertile ground’ for the 5G rollout

Within all these strategic actions, those that aim to promote the rollout of fibre optic in order to offer digital services to rural areas, as well as those that can contribute to the introduction of 5G as a new connectivity standard, clearly stand out – and have a degree of priority. As such, modifications and optimisations to the radio-electric spectrum have been taking place, alongside the associated legislation required.

This has involved optimising the 3.5Ghz band, where blocks available between 3,400 and 3,800Mhz have been reordered so that operators that added frequencies in the tender process, in March 2020, can make use of bigger blocks offering greater speeds. As for 700Mhz, some terms for bidding for this band have been altered as this is a priority for 5G and will represent one of the most important spectrum tenders in Spanish history.