Telefónica will be in charge of providing a universal telecommunications service during this year and 2024. And, at least, it will be 10 Mbps for users. Therefore, wherever you are from, at least, you will have this guaranteed speed. More than anything, because this falls within the new General Telecommunications Law, which establishes that the minimum speed of Internet access is this.
The well-known Spanish operator will be the company in charge of providing this universal telecommunications service in our country. Basically, because the public tender that was called during December 2022 was “deserted”. Therefore, in this case, Telefónica has been directly designated to offer this Internet connection to at least all of Spain.
Universalize Internet access
In this way, with what is established within the new General Telecommunications Law, it is presented to universalize Internet access for all citizens of our country, ‘regardless of their geographical location, with a certain quality and at a price affordable’. Therefore, this consists of taking the operator’s network to any point in Spain, including those areas that are not so profitable for the company.
What is truly important here is that, in those areas that still do not have an Internet connection or a minimum speed of 10 Mbps, as of this year and during 2024, Telefónica will provide this service. In addition, as reflected by the National Commission for Markets and Competition, it is the first time that ‘it is established that the Internet access service must support a minimum set of services and that the minimum speed of Internet access must be 10 Mbps downstream’.
In addition, it is made clear that only the fixed broadband Internet connection is part of this universal service, as well as the voice services that are going to be provided through this ‘fixed underlying’ connection. On the other hand, within the universal service, the truth is that other concepts that we found before are erased, as is the case of the provision of the telephone service from the classic telephone booths that we found years ago in the street or the services of telephone consultation on subscriber numbers and telephone directories.
Why Telephone?
Basically, Telefónica will continue to lead as a provider of the universal telecommunications service, until 2024, since the tender that was called in December 2022 was left as a provider of the universal telecommunications service, having been abandoned. This means that no offer or proposition was made that was admissible according to that series of criteria that were included in the award to be the provider of this service.
Therefore, there was no other than the direct designation by the Government of this well-known operator. Therefore, it will be the telecommunications company responsible for this task, at least until 2024. In addition, the CNMC has published a new report in which analyzes the appointment of Telefónica as the operator in charge of this universal service to understand that designation.
