Vodafone Spain is going to expand its 5G coverage by switching on the 700 MHz frequency, whose bands were acquired in the spectrum auction held in 2021. The operator announced today that it will offer 5G coverage by switching on the 700 MHz frequency in 109 municipalities in 30 provinces progressively from today.
In a statement, the telecom has indicated that this first deployment in the 700 MHz frequency includes 54 municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and 55 with less than 50,000 inhabitants.
“Thanks to the 5G network, the inhabitants of these 109 municipalities in 30 provinces will have connectivity to download content three times faster than with 4G, lower latency to be able to view or play online without delay and the possibility of having a greater number of connected devices simultaneously and without losing quality”, explained the teleco.
In addition, Vodafone has indicated that the 5G network at the 700 MHz frequency will make it possible to expand the coverage footprint extensively and offer better coverage also inside buildings, “with great bandwidth availability”.
This first deployment integrates the progressive update with 700 MHz in the 25 large cities already covered with 5G in 2019. Specifically, 17 of the 25 large cities will see the coverage they already had with 3.5GHz reinforced or increased in the first wave: Madrid , Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, San Sebastián, Pamplona, Logroño, Toledo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid and Murcia, Segovia, Castellón and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
In turn, La Coruña, Vigo, Gijón, Santander, Bilbao, Vitoria, Badajoz and Alicante will be updated throughout the year to the 700 MHz frequency.
In the Community of Madrid, 16 municipalities will have 5G, Alcorcón, Collado Villalba, Coslada, Fuenlabrada, Galapagar, Getafe, Madrid, Majadahonda, Móstoles, Pinto, Rivas Vaciamadrid, Las Rozas, Torrelodones, Tres Cantos, Valdemoro and Villaviciosa de Odón. In Catalonia, 28 municipalities will have 5G in the 700 MHz band, 17 of them in Barcelona.
Vodafone has explained that it will continue to roll out 700 MHz until reaching 30% of the municipalities with up to 50,000 inhabitants in December. “With this first deployment in the 700 MHz band, our goal is to continue popularizing 5G services so that the benefits of a connected society are available to everyone and no one is left behind,” explains Julia Velasco, Network Director at Vodafone Spain.
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