Public consultation on the identification of geographical areas where there is no level of presence of any 4g or 5g mobile network, and whose deployment is not credibly planned within 3 years (5g very rural networks)
Date of publication: 13/03/2026
Deadline: 24:00 hours on April 13, 2026.
Summary
The State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures (SETELECO) submits to all interested parties (operators, public administrations, National Commission of Markets and Competition and other agents) the preliminary list of areas in which it has been identified that there is no sign of presence of any 4G or 5G mobile network, or whose deployment is not credibly foreseen in 3 years, in the national territory (eligible areas).
For the identification of these eligible areas, the municipalities and roads in which coverage obligations have been established, specifically the one included in Appendices II, VI, X and XI, have been excluded from the list of particular administrative clauses and technical prescriptions for the granting by auction of concessions of private use of radio public domain in the 700 MHz band, approved by Order ETD/534/2021, of 26 May. Likewise, the eligible areas that have been provided with a native 5G mobile network in its entirety through the UNICO 5G ACTIVE NETWORKS program in its calls of 2023 and 2024 have been excluded.
The objective of the consultation is to consolidate this preliminary identification in order to obtain the definitive map of eligible areas, in which it is considered that, in accordance with the State aid regulations and Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, it is possible to grant public aid to operators of electronic communications services for the provision of the set of active equipment and, where appropriate, the additional infrastructure necessary for the coverage with native 5G technology (5G SA) and with it the presence of
In parallel to this public consultation, a public consultation is carried out on the grant scheme of this measure to which they can access from this link.
To facilitate the location and analysis of the zones, geographic layer files are provided in kmz and shape format that allow their treatment in any georeferenced information system (GIS). Also, a cartographic viewer is available in this link.
Deadline for Referral
The deadline for submission is 24:00 hours on April 13, 2026.
Presentation of observations
The answers must be submitted in electronic format, through the generic form “Other requests of a general nature sent to the Sub-Directorate General of Planning and Management of the Radio Spectrum” located in the electronic headquarters of the Ministry in this link.
Any doubt can direct you to feder.espectro@digital.gob.es
Contributions are requested to be submitted in the form of: “AREAS 5G_Networks very rural _ ENTITY“.
In general, the responses will be considered non-confidential and, consequently, freely disseminated. In case of including in the response information that is considered to be treated as confidential, it must be clearly identified, motivating such consideration.
Other files of interest
Annexes
Text of the Public Consultation (PDF - Public consultation AREAS_5G very rural)