Telefonica said that 1,500 municipalities are currently benefitting from its 3.5 GHz coverage
Spanish telco Telefonica said it currently delivers 5G coverage to more than 90% of the Spanish population.
Since launching 5G in September 2020, the operator said it has been expanding its reach, ensuring connectivity in urban and rural areas across the country.
Currently, 1,500 municipalities across the European country benefit from 3.5 GHz coverage, — up from the 1,000 reported in June — positioning Telefónica as the leader in this high-performance spectrum. This achievement reflects a 50% increase in coverage over the past six months, enabling widespread access to ultra-fast, low-latency mobile broadband services. The 3.5 GHz frequency, available to Movistar and O2 customers, enhances the user experience while meeting the specific demands of industries with advanced solutions like network slicing, said Telefonica.
In addition to its 5G expansion using 3.5 GHz spectrum, Telefónica continues to deploy 5G in the 700 MHz band, now reaching 3,585 localities across Spain. This lower frequency extends mobile coverage in outdoor areas and improves service performance indoors, complementing the capabilities of the 3.5 GHz band, the carrier said.
Movistar, which is part of telecom group Telefonica, had launched 5G Standalone (SA) coverage in Spain in July 2023.
Movistar initially launched 5G SA in 11 Spanish cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ávila, Segovia, Castellón, El Ferrol and Vigo. The carrier expected to have extensive 5G SA coverage in most cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants by the end of 2023.
Movistar’s 5G SA network, whose core was provided by Nordic vendors Ericsson and Nokia, operates in the 3.5 GHz band and guarantees browsing speeds of up to 1,600 Mbps.
