Vodafone turns on 5G in the 700 MHz band: one more step to bring this new network to more users

With the auction for the 700 MHz band concluded a few months ago, it was only a matter of time before the operators began to turn on the 5G in this frequency. One of them is Vodafone, which is the one with the least 5G spectrum in global terms and the one that announced today the ignition of said network.

This has been assured by the company through a statement in which it explains that will offer 5G coverage in 109 municipalities in 30 provinces “progressively from today.” This first deployment, they slip, includes “54 municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and 55 with less than 50,000 inhabitants.”

Expanding the scope and improving the current one

Vodafone won the 700 MHz band at auction a 2×10 MHz block for which they paid 350 million euros. The British operator already had 90 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band, thus being the operator with the least spectrum. Telefónica obtained a 2×10 MHz block (plus 100 MHz of the 3.5 GHz band) and Orange a 2×10 MHz block (plus 110 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band).

Vodafone’s deployment commitments, therefore, suppose to offer 5G in all towns of 50,000 inhabitants by 2025. That is the commitment, but nothing prevents operators from getting down to work now to fulfill it sooner.

The key to the 700 MHz band lies in its reach. In fact, we surely remember when we were forced to retune DTT, precisely to free this band. This frequency is capital when it comes to bringing 5G to the entire Spanish territory and now Vodafone is going to start exploiting it. In his own words:

“The 5G network on the 700MHz frequency will allow to expand the coverage footprint extensively and offer better coverage also inside buildings, with high bandwidth availability.”

So that, Vodafone will bring the 5G network to 109 municipalities throughout the national territory. These are as follows:

• Catalonia: Barcelona, ​​Calonge de Segarra, Castellbisbal, Esplugues de Llobregat, Esparraguera, Gavá, Mataró, Paret del Vallés, El Prat de Llobregat, Rajadell, La Roca del Vallés, Rubí, Sant Pere Sallavinera, Tagamanent, Terrasa, Vallirana, Vilanova and La Geltrú, Capmany, Garrigas, Massanes, Girona, Castelldans, Montferrer I Castelbò, Lleida, Altafulla, Reus, Rodonya, Tortosa and Tarragona.
• Madrid: Alcorcón, Collado Villalba, Coslada, Fuenlabrada, Galapagar, Getafe, Madrid, Majadahonda, Móstoles, Pinto, Rivas Vaciamadrid, Las Rozas, Torrelodones, Tres Cantos, Valdemoro and Villaviciosa de Odón.
• Basque Country: Llodio, Ribera Baja, Zambrana, Barakaldo, Getxo, Leioa, Bergara, San Sebastián, Éibar, Irún, Lasarte-Oria, Oiartzun, Tolosa and Zarautz.
• Canary Islands: La Oliva in Fuerteventura; Arrecife and Tías in Lanzarote; Agüimes, Mogán, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Telde in Gran Canaria, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos, Arona, Granadilla de Abona, San Cristóbal de la Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
• Castile and Leon: Ávila, Crespos, Aranda de Duero, Treviño County, Burgos, Tubilla del Agua, Navas de San Antonio, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid.
• Castilla la Mancha: Almodóvar del Campo, Ciudad Real, Daimiel and Ruidera in Ciudad Real, the capitals of Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, as well as the municipality of Trijueque in Guadalajara.
• Valencian Community: Ontinyent, Valencia, Castellón de la Plana and Vila-Real.
• Navarra: Fontellas, Odieta, Pamplona and Tudela.
• The Rioja: Alcanadre and Logroño.

Vodafone’s plan is reach 30% of municipalities with up to 50,000 inhabitants in December and, in addition, update the 5G of the 25 large cities covered with 5G in the 3.5 GHz band that was deployed in 2019.

So that, in this first deployment The networks of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, San Sebastián, Pamplona, ​​Logroño, Toledo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid and Murcia, Segovia, Castellón and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will be updated. Later, A Coruña, Vigo, Gijón, Santander, Bilbao, Vitoria, Badajoz and Alicante will join.

Having said that, It should be noted that the 5G SA is still a bit far for us. As far as Vodafone is concerned, the company deployed the first pre-commercial 5G SA core network last June, but for now we will have to wait to access those benefits that 5G SA promises us.

On the other hand, it should be remembered that to access the 5G network it is necessary to have a compatible smartphone. The vast majority of devices launched between 2020 and 2021 are, but it never hurts to make sure that our device has a 5G modem.