Spain’s strategy for the promotion of 5G technology

The strategy for promoting 5G technology in Spain focuses on several key aspects to ensure the effective deployment and adoption of 5G. The strategy’s primary goal is to make 5G a cornerstone of Spain’s digital transformation, enhancing economic growth, social cohesion, and ecological sustainability. By leveraging 5G, the Spanish government aims to foster a more competitive economy, improve digital public services, and drive innovation across various sectors, from healthcare and education to agriculture and transport.

Strategic axes

The strategy is built around three strategic axes:

Axis 1: A radio spectrum enabled for 5G services.

• Goal: Ensure that the spectrum required for 5G is fully available by 2025, including critical bands like the 700 MHz and 26 GHz bands.
• Actions: These include the reallocation and management of spectrum, ensuring its availability for 5G services, and reorganising bands to maximise efficiency.

Axis 2: Effective support for the deployment of 5G networks and services.

• Goal: Support operators and businesses in deploying 5G networks and developing innovative applications.
• Actions: This involves financial incentives, infrastructure support, and collaboration with public and private entities to accelerate 5G deployments, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Axis 3: A regulatory and administrative framework to boost 5G deployment.

• Goal: Create a regulatory environment that encourages investment and reduces barriers to 5G deployment.
• Actions: Simplify administrative processes, reduce spectrum fees based on deployment progress, and foster public-private collaboration to ensure smooth network rollouts.

Economic and social impact

The strategy emphasises the importance of 5G in transforming Spain’s economy by:

• Creating Jobs: It is projected to generate 330,000 new jobs through direct and indirect impacts by 2025.
• Supporting Sectoral Innovation: Key sectors like healthcare, automotive, agriculture, and tourism will benefit from sector-specific digitisation projects leveraging 5G technology.
• Driving Sustainability: 5G is expected to play a critical role in achieving Spain’s ecological transition goals, particularly through more efficient use of resources, reduced carbon emissions, and smart city developments.

Budget and investments

The strategy plans to mobilise 2 billion euros of public funding over five years (2021-2025), with additional contributions from the European Union and private investments. A total investment of 24 billion euros is expected from the combined public-private initiatives.

Challenges and opportunities

The strategy also outlines several challenges, such as the high costs of infrastructure deployment in rural areas, and the need for collaboration across sectors. However, it highlights Spain’s strong position with its extensive fibre network and leadership in European 5G pilots as key advantages.

Governance and monitoring

A public-private council will oversee the implementation of the strategy, ensuring transparency and collaboration among stakeholders. The governance structure will include advisory councils, permanent committees, and working groups to monitor progress toward the 2025 goals.

By focusing on these axes and objectives, Spain aims to solidify its position as a leader in 5G development in Europe, fostering both economic growth and social transformation.