Madrid, June 20, 2024.- The Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, has formalized the extension of the spectrum licenses granted prior to the approval of the General Telecommunications Law. This decision has been taken in compliance with the second transitional provision of Law 11/2022, of 28 June, in the adaptation of the titles enabling the use of the public radio domain.
The Government of Spain extended the maximum period of the granting of frequencies of use of the radio spectrum in the law to forty years. In this line, the new spectrum concessions granted in recent years in the 700 MHz and 26 GHz bands have already been granted with the maximum duration provided by law. Specifically, twenty years plus another twenty possible years have been granted in extensions, which are expected to be granted if the conditions of each title are met.
These new measures affect previously granted licences in other frequency bands that are now used for other technologies (2G, 3G and 4G). In the case of the 3.5 GHz band, which is already used for 5G technology, its duration may also be extended by up to ten additional years. These frequency bands may also be used in the imminent future for other technologies such as 5G and 6G.
The Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service has taken this action after completing the required procedures and listening to the sector through a public hearing of those affected, a public consultation open to all agents and the respective reports of the CNMC and the State Attorney. In the same way, this has been one of the aspects in the different aspects dealt with by the Government in the different operations that have been carried out recently aimed at giving greater consistency and sustainability to the sector.
The Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, María González Veracruz, considers that this extension “constitutes another measure in our policy of supporting the sustainability of a sector that we consider strategic, in order to continue strengthening the levels of connectivity and competitiveness that we are achieving. It will involve saving hundreds of millions of euros for operators, which can be invested directly in deployment and innovation.”
In this regard, he stressed that “the Government has defended the interests of the citizens and the Spanish economy in the different processes of concentration and reorganization of the sector for the coming years. This measure is in addition to the commitments we have demanded from the operators to make the necessary strategic investments and have a financial soundness that ensures the long term. And, of course, to the millionaire public investment of more than 2,500 million euros for network and mobile technology deployment throughout Spain”