Alexandra Borgeaud
Research expert covering cybersecurity and tech in Latin America
Telecoms in Spain - statistics & facts
Telecommunications is one of the industries that has irreversibly changed the world by allowing individuals to stay connected, and Spain is no exception. The revenue generated by the sector has nevertheless fluctuated over the years, amounting to around 32.6 billion euros in 2023, the lowest value recorded since 2016. The Spanish telecoms market has recently experienced major changes, with some of its key players engaging in unprecedented merger and acquisition operations.
Ensuring connectivity nationwide
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the total revenue of retail telecoms services in Spain exceeded six billion euros, with mobile services revenue amounting to just over two billion euros, making it the largest telecoms segment in terms of income in the European country. As elsewhere around the globe, the telecommunications industry in Spain has skewed steadily towards the mobile segment. In 2023, the number of mobile connections in Spain peaked at around 61.2 million. Likewise, mobile internet usage has been strongly facilitated by the deployment of 5G across Spain, with 5G coverage reaching over 92 percent in 2023. The critical importance of 5G adoption for digital transformation has been emphasized by the European Union in its Digital Decade connectivity goals, to be reached by EU countries by 2030.Recent moves from key telecoms providers
The Spanish telecoms sector is dominated by several familiar names. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Spanish multinational telecoms company Telefónica, operating in Spain through its branch Movistar, dominated the market both in terms of revenue and mobile telephony customers. Another key player, Orange, completed the merger of its Spanish operations with Spain’s MásMóvil in March 2024. This joint venture, known as MásOrange, will overtake Telefónica as the country's biggest mobile operator. Furthermore, in June 2024, the British operator Vodafone formally exited the Spanish market following the completion of the sale of Vodafone Spain to Zegona Communications. Looking ahead, these moves from Spain’s telecoms leaders are poised to have profound implications for the country’s telecoms landscape.
