Madrid, 1 June, 2020.- The National Association of Local Telecommunications Operators (Asociación Nacional de Operadores de Telecomunicaciones y Servicios de Internet – AOTEC), and the neutral telecommunications infrastructure operator Telxius, have signed a framework agreement that will potentially give local operators in the telecom sector access to more than 11,000 towers owned by Telxius in Spain. This agreement will allow local operators to enhance their services and their territorial expansion, thus helping accelerate the development of their own network. Local telecommunications operators are usually present in municipalities with a population of less than 50,000 inhabitants, so the impact of this agreement will occur in small towns, mainly in rural and coastal areas.

The President of AOTEC, Antonio García Vidal, has indicated that having reached this agreement with Telxius, a company whose presence and network capacity in the territory is significant, represents “an important backing for local telecom operators. It allows us to increase the capillarity of the SME and its territorial presence, which will have an impact on citizens’ access to the internet”.

“As the main neutral operator of telecommunications infrastructure in Spain, we offer our more than 11,000 telecommunications sites so that our clients can provide optimal coverage and connectivity under reliable conditions through Build-to-Suit, colocation and other network densification services. This agreement with Aotec confirms our commitment to provide the best infrastructure, enabling any local operator to boost its services and strengthen its network,” says Daniel Noguera, Director of Telxius Torres España.

According to Mr. García Vidal, “We look forward to this being the beginning of a long-standing relationship that benefits everyone, especially citizens at large and the business fabric of many SMBs in Spain, particularly because of the fact that increased connectivity during this unprecedented health crisis has truly represented a tool that will help guarantee the future for society as a whole. As a society, we have become increasingly aware that access to telecommunications is no longer a privilege, it is actually an essential service for society, as is access to electricity or water.” Mr. García Vidal also added that “consequently, the possibility of activating the necessary telecommunications services in an agile manner in rural municipalities located anywhere in Spain will serve the purpose and contribute to breaking the traditional slower growth model (en “mancha de aceite”) in this sector. Local operators were already moving outside of their natural ‘regional’ boundaries in order to expand their business, so this agreement will simply make it much easier for them.”

Mr. García Vidal also added “Additionally, this will allow us to better serve a greater number of citizens living in complex orography areas by providing access to wireless solutions as a result of this agreement, as it enables us to reduce the cumulative costs of our infrastructure because the infrastructure maintenance and ownership costs would now be shared. Having access to Telxius’ network will help accelerate ultra-fast broadband deployments, and even IoT or 5G services in the future.”