In the 700 MHz band, which is used for wider area coverage, Movistar had 11,934 base stations in July, up 1,137 from March
In sum – what to know:
1,229 new 3.5 GHz sites since March – Movistar expanded from 6,958 to 8,178 sites, maintaining a lead of about 6,000 over rivals MásOrange and Vodafone.
Slower rollout at Vodafone – Added 265 3.5 GHz sites in the same period, reflecting a Zegona-led strategy to focus on infrastructure monetisation.
700 MHz coverage obligations met – All three major operators increased site counts and fulfilled government requirements set in the July 2021 spectrum award.
Spanish mobile operator Movistar, owned by Telefonica, ended July 2025 with 8,178 active 5G base stations in the 3.5 GHz band, according to the latest official data from Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function.
This is an increase of 1,229 units from the 6,958 recorded in March, according to the official information.
The 3.5 GHz band is the spectrum band where Spanish operators hold the most capacity, allowing for greater data throughput. It is used to provide higher-speed services compared with lower-frequency bands.
Rival telco MásOrange had 4,254 3.5 GHz base stations in July, up from 3,631 in March, adding 623 units. Vodafone increased its count from 1,903 to 2,168, a gain of 265.
Vodafone’s slower expansion in this band coincides with a strategic shift under new owner Zegona, focusing on generating returns from existing infrastructure. This includes joint fiber companies with MásOrange and Telefónica.
In the 700 MHz band, which is used for wider area coverage, including rural areas and indoor penetration, Movistar had 11,934 base stations in July, up 1,137 from March. MásOrange added 656 sites in the same period, reaching 10,851, while Vodafone increased by 695 to 8,092.
The Ministry’s data indicates all three operators have met the 5G coverage obligations in the 700 MHz band set by the Spanish government in the July 2021 spectrum award.
5G mobile networks covered 96% of the Spanish population as of mid-2024, marking a rise of over 3.5 percentage points compared to the previous year, according to a previous government report on national connectivity published in June.
The Broadband Coverage Report in Spain, published by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, outlines the progress of broadband and 5G deployment across the country as of June 2024. Over the past three years, 5G coverage has expanded by 37 percentage points nationwide.
Coverage is expected to grow even further once ongoing projects under the UNICO 5G Active Networks Program are finalized. Nearly €670 million ($766 million) was awarded through calls for proposals in March and mid-2024 to accelerate 5G Standalone deployments in towns with fewer than 10,000 residents, with a large portion focused on the 3.5 GHz band.
The connectivity report also noted significant gains in the 3.4–3.8 GHz frequency bands — designated by the EU as a priority for 5G — with coverage increasing by 16 percentage points in the past year.
In just one year, 3.5 GHz 5G coverage in rural zones grew by over 12 percentage points, reaching 23% at end-June 2024. More broadly, rural 5G coverage has tripled since 2021, growing from 26% to 80% by 2024. Between June 2023 and June 2024 alone, rural coverage expanded by 11 percentage points.
In January 2025, Spanish telco Telefonica said it was delivering 5G coverage to more than 90% of the Spanish population.
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.
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.
