Closing the gap!

Onivia and Nae publish a new edition of Spanish FTTH Wholesale Market Report

• Spain is one of the European and world leaders in FTTH coverage, with 92% of households covered.
• One of the keys is a highly sophisticated market that maximises the opportunities of the wholesale ecosystem.
• The rural gap in network coverage and performance needs to be addressed with the help of the country’s institutions and the whole FTTH industry.

 Madrid, 23 October 2024

Wholesale fibre operator Onivia and telco consulting firm Nae, a Minsait company, presented the results of the report at the II #WholesaleSPAIN Forum, held in Madrid on 22 October.

The aim of the study is to provide a clear vision of the fibre to the home industry in Spain, differentiating between urban and rural areas, to assess the existence of a digital divide in the country and to identify the causes of this gap.

In an increasingly demanding digital environment, Spain is positioned as a European and global benchmark leader for FTTH coverage, with 92% of households covered, double the European average, in both urban and rural areas.

Spain presents high levels of rural coverage thanks to public initiatives such as the UNICO Broadband Programme. This programme has played a key role in addressing the digital divide, providing €760 million over the last four years to support more than 3 million homes in rural areas, thus helping to improve connectivity in communities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

The report also shows a difference in broadband performance. Data shows download speeds are up to 15% higher in urban areas whilst latency is up to 10% higher in rural areas. Wifi 4 usage is almost twice as high in rural areas (21%) compared to urban areas (12%), which affects the performance of connections in these regions.

The study identifies five key findings:

• Fibre deployment in rural areas.
• Improved performance in rural areas.
• Increased deployment of advanced Wi-Fi technology.
• Increased wholesale agreements between operators.
• Regulatory progress in measuring quality of service in rural areas.

The report concludes with the CNMC’s new regulatory framework, which will measure the differences in quality of service between urban and rural areas every two years. A clear step forward for Spain to remain at the forefront in terms of connectivity and technology.

The executive summary of the report can be downloaded here.