Spain - Telecoms Infrastructure, Operators, Regulations - Statistics and Analyses

Spain - Telecoms Infrastructure, Operators, Regulations - Statistics and Analyses

In recent years the value of Spain's telecom market has fallen, with the sector affected by the poor economic climate resulting in high unemployment and reduced disposable income among consumers. However, a five-year recession, with tumbling GDP, effectively ended in 2014 when the economy showed a steady return to growth for four quarters in succession. Growing confidence among investors was palpable during 2015, and the improved business climate augurs well for the sector into 2016.

Mobile penetration is high and growing steadily, while broadband uptake is backed by continuing investment in infrastructure among operators in a bid to provide improved bundled services and so compete more effectively against other players. The regulator has fostered competition by providing access to the incumbent's DSL and FttP networks, which has stimulated fibre roll-outs. The newly elected conservative government will be pressed to implement policies which encourage the ICT sector, secure the development of NGNs and ensure that Spain has a vibrant telecoms infrastructure to enable it to compete in a global economy.

This report introduces the key aspects of the Spanish telecom market, providing statistics on the fixed-network services sector, and profiling the main players and their strategies to meet an increasingly competitive environment. The report also assesses the main regulatory issues, noting the status of interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability and carrier preselection.

Key developments:

Telefónica creates Telxius to manage global infrastructure assets, moves to a virtual network for a third of its international infrastructure by 2016; new government pressed to revitalise telecoms sector; Telefónica considers asset sales; regulator agrees to 6.8% increase in LLU charges; Telefónica develops new organisational structure; new indirect access model introduced; revised wholesale broadband access regulations; regulator's market data updates to October 2015, telcos' operating and financial data to Q3 2015, recent market developments.

Companies covered in this report:

Orange, Telefónica, Jazztel, Ono.