Spanish operator Telefonica’s 5G network already reaches 80% of the country’s population, local press reported.
The operator’s goal was to provide 5G coverage to 75% of the Spanish population by the end of 2020.
Telefonica currently offers 5G connectivity to approximately 1,300 towns and cities across the Spain, according to the report.
With the installation of more than 4,000 nodes, all the provincial capitals, the main Spanish cities and small towns in all the autonomous communities have access to Telefónica’s 5G network.
In its first phase of deployment, the company is working with the latest radio generations that allow dual 4G and 5G use, the telco recently said in a statement.
This initial deployment is making use of current sites and infrastructure and, in the mid- and long term, will be complemented by new base stations and small cells according to capacity and coverage requirements, the telco said.
In September, the Spanish operator had announced the launch of non-standalone (NSA) 5G commercial services in the country.
The telco is offering its 5G service through spectrum in the 3.5 GHz and 1.8-2.1 GHz bands. The Spanish government expects to award spectrum in the 700 MHz band for the provision of 5G in the first quarter of 2021.
Telefonica had previously inked commercial deals with European vendors Nokia and Ericsson to supply the equipment and services for its 5G launch.
Telefonica is initially deploying gear from Ericsson to provide 5G in its main urban areas, while Nokia’s equipment will be used for the deployment of 5G in an upcoming phase of the 5G deployment plan. The operator also selected solutions from Juniper Networks for the security of its 5G network infrastructure.
Telefónica previously said that it had initially launched 5G services thanks to a technology that combines the deployment of NSA (non-standalone) 5G and DSS (Dynamic Spectrum Sharing). Telefonica said it will launch a standalone (SA) 5G network across Spain once the technology becomes “fully available” after standardization.
Rival operator Vodafone launched Spain’s first commercial 5G network in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Vitoria, San Sebastian, La Coruna, Vigo, Gijon, Pamplona, Logrono and Santander in June 2019. The carrier had previously said that it was working with Huawei and Ericsson in the deployment of the 5G network.
The telco’s 5G network currently reaches 21 cities across the country.
Meanwhile, Orange is already offering 5G services in 45 cities across Spain.
Some of the cities covered by Orange’s non-standalone (NSA) 5G network includes Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, Logroño and Pamplona.
Orange previously said it expects to launch 5G in 93 towns and cities across Spain before the end of 2020.
Masmovil launched 5G last year and the telco’s network currently provides this technology in 19 Spanish cities.
