The new plan aims to close the digital divide, and to strengthen data and cybersecurity capabilities.
A country with a solid connectivity infrastructure: Spain’s previous Digital Agenda dates back to 2013. The then Government set targets for 2020 to achieve full 30Mbps coverage and at least 50% penetration of 100Mbps connections, in line with the EU Digital Agenda targets. As of July 2020, coverage of 30Mbps is reported at 94.3% of households, whereas 83.6% can access 100Mbps connections. Penetration of 100Mbps far exceeded the target, since they were 76.5% of fixed broadband connections as of Q4 2019.
A far-reaching plan for the next five years: On 23 July 2020, the Government announced a new Digital Agenda from now until until 2025. The plan foresees a total €140bn investment, of which €70bn will be spent in the first three years. Of those €70bn, €20bn will come from public investment, including EU funds from the recently announced recovery plan, whereas the remaining €50bn will come from private investment.
Closing the digital divide: The new Digital Agenda is based on 48 measures across 10 key pillars. With regard to connectivity, the objective is to close the remaining digital divide, since FTTH coverage in rural areas is still at 46%. By 2025, the Government aims to bring 100Mbps to the whole population. On 5G, Spain aims to ensure 100% of the radio spectrum to be 5G-ready, so that the country can lead in the development of 5G and reap its economic benefits. The plan foresees new pilot schemes, the first of which will start in September 2020, and incentives the deployment of 5G outside the most densely populated areas.
New ambitions in AI and cybersecurity: Spain’s new Digital Agenda also sets out targets for the digital economy, with a view to have 25% of companies using AI and Big Data by 2025. The Government also wants to improve cybersecurity capabilities, and ensure the country has 20k new cybersecurity specialists by 2025. Finally, the Government aims to have a new charter for digital rights in place by 2025, including a modernisation of the framework applicable to remote working.
