Movistar launches 5G+ in 700 locations

Movistar accelerates the development of the 3,500 MHz frequency band in Spain to offer high-performance 5G to its customers throughout the territory within the framework of the launch of 5G+.

Thanks to great capillarity, it will be possible to connect to the operator's network both in large cities and in small municipalities. ultra-fast speeds and very low latency. This translates into a better mobile experience with high-quality images, almost instant downloads, streaming or being able to play in the cloud without interruptions. Likewise, it will result in an increase in network quality even in crowded spaces such as a sporting event or a musical concert. These aspects are very relevant for the use of the 5G+ in broadcast environments.

Movistar, which already covers more than 700 municipalities throughout Spain with 3,500 MHz, it will boost deployment during the second half of the year with the aim of reaching around 1,000 locations by the end of 2023.

The launch of 5G+, which optimizes the customer experience by offering wide coverage and browsing speeds up to 1,600 Mbps, will be carried out within the scope of Movistar's extensive deployment in the 3,500 MHz band, with Ericsson y Nokia as suppliers.

This deployment is completed with coverage in the 700 MHz band that Movistar has offered since last year and currently reaches more than 2,200 municipalities, with numerous advantages such as improved indoor coverage. The so-called low band is complemented in 5G with the 3,500 MHz band, ideal for services that require a user experience at very high transmission speed, both for rural areas and large urban centers. In this way, Movistar already offers 5G coverage to more than 85% of the population.

5G Stand Alone arrives

Within the framework of the launch of 5G+ and the acceleration of deployment, the operator now offers 5G SA (Stand Alone), a technology in which the entire network infrastructure (core and radio access) is supported by 5G, which contributes to the improved connectivity experience of the user and also offers the possibility of developing and implementing advanced services for companies based on mobile connectivity together with other technologies such as network slicing.

Movistar currently covers with 5G SA a total of 11 cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ávila, Segovia, Castellón, El Ferrol and Vigo. The goal by the end of the year is to have extensive 5G SA coverage in most cities with more than 250,000 in addition to smaller towns, so that the capillarity of the Movistar service continues to be consolidated.

The 5G Stand Alone mode is now available on compatible Xiaomi brand terminals and the operator will add new models and manufacturers in the coming weeks.

Sustainable connectivity

Movistar's 5G technology is being developed taking into account environmental sustainability criteria. It should be noted that cIt consumes 90% less energy than 4G per unit of traffic (W/Mbps), in addition to relying on the consumption of 100% renewable electricity, an aspect that Telefónica Spain has applied to its entire network since 2017.

In this sense, Movistar continues working to make the network increasingly more efficient in terms of energy and carbon with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. In fact, since 2015 the operator has reduced its operational emissions by 96%; energy consumption by 12%, despite the fact that data traffic has multiplied by 4.7 in the same period, and its carbon footprint including its value chain by 58%