The agreement will allow the U.K.-based carrier to have access to Telefónica’s fiber infrastructure.
Telefónica and Vodafone reached a commercial five-year agreement for wholesale access to Telefónica’s fiber optic network in Spain.
The deal provides Vodafone access to the fiber infrastructure in certain municipalities that are subject to regulation and other markets where Telefónica has been freed of wholesale fiber access obligations, the Spanish telco said. Vodafone will also be able to extend the footprint where it can offer broadband and TV services in the Spanish market.
“For Telefónica, this agreement is a milestone in its wholesale business strategy, as it enables it to take a more active role in offering its wholesale services in an increasingly dynamic and innovative business environment, and with more alternatives in terms of provision of services by other operators or by using models of co-investment and self-provision,” the carrier said in a statement.
Vodafone’s fixed network in Spain currently covers 15.8 million premises, of which 10.1 million are on its own network. The carrier has 14.5 million mobile customers and 3.1 million broadband subscribers in the country.
Finnish regulator plans to issue flexible licenses for 5G testing
Finnish telecommunication regulator FICORA said it would issue short-term radio licenses for tests, research and trials of systems based on “5G” radio technologies. The license period may range from a few days to a few years, the regulator said.
The European Commission has identified the 3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz and the 24 GHz to 27 GHz bands, among others, as 5G pioneer bands in Europe, the regulator said. For regional 5G testing, FICORA said it will make available bands of up to 100 megahertz in the former band (until the end of 2018) and up to 1,000 megahertz in the latter bands. It is also possible to receive licenses for 5G testing in other frequency bands, FICORA added.
The main mobile operators in Finland are Elisa, Sonera and DNA.
