Spain 5G National Plan (2018-2020)

The Spain 5G National Plan (2018-2020) aims to lay the foundation for the country’s digital transformation by leveraging 5G as a critical enabler for various sectors, such as healthcare, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture. This new generation of wireless communication will support emerging technologies like the internet of things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality, and autonomous vehicles, which will drive innovation and economic growth. The plan targets creating a comprehensive infrastructure, facilitating innovation, and encouraging entrepreneurship in the field of telecommunications and digital services.

Objectives:

• Digital transformation: 5G is viewed as the backbone of Spain’s digital transformation, enabling technologies such as IoT, Big Data, robotics, virtual reality, and autonomous vehicles.
• Infrastructure evolution: The plan emphasises the need for evolving telecom infrastructure and fostering a 5G ecosystem through innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Global leadership: Spain aims to be among the most advanced countries in 5G development, ready to harness its full potential when the technology reaches maturity.

Key pillars of the plan:

1. Radio spectrum management:
   • Allocation and harmonisation of key frequency bands (3.6-3.8 GHz, 700 MHz, 26 GHz) to support 5G services.
   • Tendering processes to make the necessary spectrum available for 5G deployment.
2. 5G technology pilots and R&D:
   • The plan supports pilot projects and R&D activities aimed at validating 5G capabilities.
   • These projects will test 5G applications in sectors like smart manufacturing, connected vehicles, agriculture, and tourism.
3. Regulatory framework:
   • Adaptations to regulations to facilitate the deployment of 5G infrastructure and services.
   • Security, privacy, and quality standards will be updated to address the specific needs of 5G technologies.
4. International cooperation:
   • Spain will collaborate with international standardisation bodies and other EU member states to promote a unified 5G framework and secure its position in the global 5G ecosystem.

Expected outcomes:

• The plan will enable Spain to capitalise on the digital economy, create new business models, and increase productivity across various sectors.
• Spain is expected to derive both direct and indirect economic benefits from 5G, especially in sectors like transport, healthcare, energy, and the automotive industry.