The Government sets the roadmap for the deployment of 5G networks

The Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda have this week set the roadmap for the deployment in Spain of the 5G network, with measures such as a public tender for the first frequency bands for this mobile technology and aid to encourage the implementation of pilot projects.

The implementation of this technology, considered the cornerstone of digital transformation, will facilitate the provision of services that require high bandwidth in mobility and will give a boost to the applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), such as the connected car or digitalization of rural areas.

The measures are included in the National 5G Plan, which the Ministry has published on Friday and with which Spain joins Germany and the United Kingdom as the third country of the European Union (EU) in having a plan of this type.

At the beginning of 2018, the first frequency bands for 5G, 3.6 GHz and 1.5 GHz will be auctioned, with the aim of allowing operators to start carrying out the first innovative projects with 5G

In the band between 3.6 to 3.8 GHz, 200 megahertz will be tendered and the spectrum blocks that already have several operators (such as Telefonica or Orange) will be reordered between 3.4 and 3.6 GHz.

At auctions, the government will set limits on the amount of spectrum that each operator can have to avoid "hoarding" frequencies.

The other two bands reserved for 5G, 700 MHz and 26 GHz, have not yet been scheduled for bidding, although sources from the Ministry have pointed out that operators do not consider them a priority and have stressed that 5G can start "even commercially "without them. The band of 700 Mhz, which allows very large geographical coverage is currently used by digital terrestrial television so that its provision for mobile services will force a new retuning of DTT (TDT).

It is expected that the first networks will be deployed after next summer and that operators and manufacturers will start to introduce pilot services.

The roadmap also foresees support for R & D & I projects in 5G and a follow-up office for the National Plan.

It is estimated that the introduction of 5G in the sectors of the automotive, health, transport and public services in Spain will have an economic impact of up to 14,600 million euros before 2025, according to the sources.

With this Plan, the Government wants Spain, with the 5G, to maintain the leadership it holds in telecommunications, by having the most extensive fibre network in Europe and a coverage of 4G that exceeds 95% of the population.