Onivia and Nae release a new edition of the report on Spain's wholesale FTTH market

The #WholesaleSPAIN report analyzes the presence and performance of various operators at both national and regional levels

In an increasingly demanding digital landscape, Spain stands as a European and global leader in FTTH deployments, with 92 % coverage positioning it as a key player in the sector.

Together with wholesale fiber operator Onivia, we presented the report findings at the second #WholesaleSPAIN Forum held on October 22 in Madrid.

The objective of this study is to provide a clear overview of the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) industry in Spain, distinguishing between urban and rural areas, assessing the existence of a digital divide, and identifying its potential causes. 

The report identifies a performance gap of up to 15 % in download speed and 10 % in latency between urban and rural areas. The use of WiFi 4 is nearly double in rural areas (21 %) compared to urban areas (12 %), affecting connectivity performance in these regions.

Initiatives like the UNICO Banda Ancha Program play a crucial role in addressing this digital divide, having subsidized over 3 million premises in rural areas with 760 million euros over the past four years. This funding has improved connectivity in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

Five key findings were identified in the study: 

• Expansion of fiber networks in rural areas.

• Performance improvement in these areas.

• Increased adoption of advanced WiFi technology.

• Intensification of wholesale agreements between operators.

• Regulatory advances in measuring rural service quality.

The report concludes with a new regulatory framework by the CNMC, which will measure service quality differences between urban and rural areas on a biannual basis, marking a significant step toward ensuring Spain’s continued leadership in connectivity and technology.

You can download the full report at this link.