Vodafone Spain aims 5G to reach 82% of population by end-2024

By Juan Pedro Tomás June 13, 2024

Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20240613/5g/vodafone-spain-aims-5g-to-reach-82-of-population-by-end-2024

Vodafone Spain has been recently acquired by Zegona Communications

Vodafone Spain expects its 5G network to reach 82% of the Spanish population by the end of this year, the telco said in a statement.

By the end of 2024, the telco’s 5G network infrastructure will reach a total of 2,700 municipalities across Spain.

Currently, more than 2 million customers have unlimited 5G data rates, the telco said.

Vodafone also said it will deploy 5G in 147 towns with less than 1,000 inhabitants and in 553 towns between 1,000 and 50,000 inhabitants to boost 5G technology in rural areas of the country.

Five years after the launch of its first 5G network, Vodafone has more than 60 devices in its portfolio and has developed more than 200 5G practical cases in collaboration with administrations, companies and startups in multiple sectors, including emergencies, transport, healthcare , industry 4.0, tourism or agriculture, among others.

Julia Velasco, director of technology and operations at Vodafone Spain, said: “Our goal is to provide the best connectivity and facilitate digital inclusion so that users always enjoy the best network experience from anywhere. It has been shown that increases in the level of digitalization automatically translate into increases in productivity and GDP.”

Vodafone initially launched 5G services in Spain via Non-Standalone (NSA) architecture in 2019 while the telco launched a pre-commercial 5G Standalone (SA) network in June 2021. In January of 2022, Vodafone Spain announced the start of the initial deployment of 5G coverage via the 700 MHz frequency in 109 municipalities in 30 provinces across the country, after the telco secured spectrum in the 700 MHz band in July 2021.

Vodafone Group recently completed the sale of its Spanish operation to Zegona Communications for $5.4 billion.

Vodafone and Zegona previously said they will enter into a brand license agreement, which permits the use of the Vodafone brand in Spain for up to 10 years post-completion. Vodafone and Zegona will enter into other transitional and long-term arrangements for services including access to procurement, IoT, roaming and carrier services.

The transaction had been approved by the Spanish government after Zegona guaranteed the continuity of the service and contemplate future investments, mainly in mobile coverage with 5G technology, as well as to adopt measures that guarantee financial solvency.

In addition, Zegona has also committed to maintaining relevant contracts with the national administration and maintaining stability in the company’s strategic assets, the Council of Ministers said.

Vodafone Spain recently announced plans to cut up to 1,198 jobs in the company after being acquired by Zegona. This figure represents over one third of the telco’s total staff. The Spanish carrier blamed the decision on economic, production and organizational factors, highlighting “the significant financial and commercial deterioration endured by the company” in recent times.