Spain's President Mariano Rajoy has announced a new project, dubbed "Plan 300x100", to bring fibre-optic broadband access to all localities and 95 percent of the population by 2021 in a total investment of EUR 525 million. Significant private investment from Telefonica, Vodafone, Orange and Masmovil has already helped Spain create Europe’s largest fibre to the home (FTTH) network, covering 76 percent of the country’s population (more than Germany, the UK and Italy combined), with 33.6 million installed accesses compared to just 1.6 million in 2012. The government has now committed to bringing fast broadband to all remaining underserved areas as well as 300Mbps fibre to all population centres over the next 4 years.
Rajoy said fast broadband penetration in regions such as Madrid and the Basque Country already tops 95 percent of households, but remains below 80 percent in other communities such as Galicia, Cantabria, Castilla-Leon and Extremadura. The aim is to ensure all regions reach 85 percent penetration by 2019, rising to 100 percent by 2021 via the funds allocated, starting with EUR 150 million this year alone.
A further EUR 45 million of government subsidies will be freed up to bring satellite-based broadband to the 5 percent of households outside population centres, added Rajoy.
