Spain Pushes Ahead With Rural 5G Internet Rollout to Close the 'Digital Divide'

Targeting Spain's 'Dead Zones'

A new 5G rollout is underway in Spain in a bid to boost internet coverage in rural areas. The scheme, named 5G Very Rural Networks, targets 5,000 areas across the country — home to a population of approximately 20,000 people — that currently have no 5G or 4G coverage at all.

Helmed by the Ministry for Digital Transformation, the programme specifically targets so-called "dead zones" where residents have been left without reliable mobile internet while urban areas race ahead.

Who's Building It?

The initiative will see four major telecom companies — Telefónica, MasOrange, Vodafone and Digi — building new 5G and fibre-optic towers throughout the country.

Crucially, whichever company is awarded the grant for a given area must share their towers and equipment with competitors, so all customers have coverage and no single company can monopolise publicly funded 5G infrastructure. That's good news for consumers, regardless of which network they're on.

€30 Million — A Fraction of the Previous Programme

The project is estimated to cost €30 million and will be funded by the European Regional Development Fund. That makes it a fraction of the cost of the previous initiative, UNICO Active Networks, which cost a massive €669 million and brought 5G to rural areas with fewer than 10,000 residents in 2024.

That earlier programme brought 5G coverage to 1.8 million Spaniards and played a key role in connecting rural communities, helping to close the digital divide that had left them far behind urban areas.

When Will It Happen?

Although still in the early planning stages, construction is expected to start at the end of this year, with completion scheduled for 2029.

By 2029, the programme will help Spain achieve one of Europe's largest mobile networks, bridging gaps in hard-to-reach areas and delivering reliable internet infrastructure nationwide.

What This Means for Expats in Rural Spain

For the many British and other expats living in smaller towns and villages across Spain — particularly inland from the costas — this could make a real difference. Poor mobile coverage has long been a frustration for those living outside major population centres, affecting everything from remote working to basic day-to-day connectivity. If the rollout stays on track, many of those dead zones should finally get reliable coverage by the end of the decade.

This article is based on reporting from The Olive Press, published April 3, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.