Masmovil currently has 80 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band for the provision of 5G
Spanish telecom operator Masmovil is currently offering 5G service in almost 900 towns and cities in 40 provinces across Spain for the customers of its Yoigo brand, the company said in a release.
According to the telco, 57% of the country’s population is already covered with its 5G network infrastructure. The operator also noted that it had reached 191 new towns and cities in its latest 5G expansion.
The carrier’s 5G service is being offered via a combination of its own infrastructure and an agreement with rival operator Orange. Masmovil currently has 80 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band for the provision of 5G.
Some of the provinces in which the carrier provides 5G include Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Ávila, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cantabria, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Huesca, León, Lugo, Madrid, Málaga, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, Ourense, Las Palmas, Pontevedra, La Rioja, Salamanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Zamora and Zaragoza. Since September, the telco expanded its 5G infrastructure in 133 cities across Spain.
The operator also said it aims to continue deploying 5G infrastructure in the coming months to expand its current coverage. Masmovil also noted that its 5G portfolio already includes over 30 devices.
In October 2019, Masmovil signed an agreement with Orange Spain covering mobile, fiber and broadband technologies. The deal gives Masmovil access to Orange Spain’s entire 5G network thanks to a “virtual active sharing mode” agreement, enabling it to deploy 5G in 4,500 locations that cover 35% of the Spanish population in 40 main cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga and Bilbao. Orange will deploy a total of 1,500 new sites through the end of 2021 in Spain.
The 5G deal between Masmovil and Orange will be valid until 2028 and is extendable for 5 additional years.
Rival operator Orange is already offering 5G services in 840 towns and cities in 38 provinces across the country. According to the European operator, its 5G network infrastructure already reaches 58.6% of the Spanish population.
Orange had said it expects its 5G network to reach 1,500 localities by the end of this year.
In February, Orange announced its deployment of 5G in the 700 MHz band. The European carrier said it will offer this technology progressively over the course of 2022 in more than 1,100 towns and cities, 820 of them having between 1,000 and 50,000 citizens.
Meanwhile, Telefónica currently offers 5G coverage to over 80% of the Spanish population, via 5G offered through 3.5Gz spectrum. Earlier this year, Telefonica had announced the activation of 5G services using spectrum in the 700MHz band. The telco said it expects to reach 1,400 localities in Spain with this service by the end of this year.
