Eurona, Hispasat and FENITEL have presented today in Zaragoza 'Connect by satellite', a project of digital inclusion to offer quality access to the Internet in populations poorly served by terrestrial telecommunication networks
The more than 290,000 people who reside in the "white areas" of Aragon will have access to quality Internet thanks to the Ka band of Hispasat satellites and the Eurona platform
Zaragoza, May 31, 2018. Aquilino Antuña, founding partner of Quantis, a subsidiary of the Eurona Group, a leading operator and provider of Internet, voice and data services; Ignacio Sanchis, Business Director of Hispasat, the Spanish operator of telecommunications satellites; and Miguel Ángel García Argüelles, managing director of the national federation of telecommunications installers FENITEL, announced on Thursday that they will offer broadband Internet via satellite to more than 290,000 people who, as of today, still do not enjoy a fast connection. efficient in Aragon.
According to the latest Broadband Coverage Report published recently by the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, this figure indicates that more than 20% of the Aragonese population does not have a minimum speed of at least 30 Mbps, while that 105,000 people do not even reach 10 Mbps. What's worse, more than 16,000 people do not have an ADSL connection or its speed is less than 2 Mbps. This was advanced by the three entities at an informative breakfast where have presented 'Connect by Satellite', a digital inclusion project that aims to guarantee access to the Internet for all citizens and improve the quality of life and economic development of areas that lack connectivity or have low quality.
The satellite Ka band is presented as the best alternative to provide Internet access service to remote or sparsely populated areas where there are no other technological options, since, being more powerful and concentrated than other frequency bands, it allows a higher speed and a more adjusted cost, resulting much more efficient and facilitating a better service to the user. Hispasat has available capacity in Ka band over Spain in two of its satellites, the Hispasat 36W-1, launched last year, and the Hispasat 30W-6, which was placed in orbit three months ago.
With the recent agreement reached between Hispasat and Eurona to commercialize the Ka band of these satellites, the latter becomes the operator with the highest satellite capacity in Europe, which will be key to democratizing Internet access in Spain. Thus, Eurona offers a technological solution comparable in quality and price to other terrestrial technologies, with broadband services at 30 Mbps (from € 39.90) that may be requested through its platform, providing quality connectivity not only to the residents in Aragon, but also to any person who is in Spanish territory, wherever he is and where he lives.
Eurona and Hispasat will thus contribute to reduce the digital divide in our country and open the doors of the digital world to all the inhabitants of rural areas, depopulated or difficult terrain where other telecommunications networks do not reach.
On the other hand, telecommunications installers represent that privileged contact point to request the service and the aids, given its capillarity throughout the territory. Their collaboration will make it possible to meet the demands of any Aragonese town, since in all of them they have a nearby installer, who will take care of the assembly and maintenance of the equipment and will be able to directly receive the requests of the neighbors of their environment.
This project coincides with the recent announcement made by the Secretary of State for the Information Society and Digital Agenda of the start-up of the Aid Program for the contracting of fixed broadband at 30 Mbps. People or entities in populations with less of 5,000 inhabitants who do not have fixed broadband to a minimum of 10 megabits per second will have an aid of 400 euros that will cover free of charge the expenses derived from the registration and installation of the equipment. Precisely, Eurona has been the first authorized operator to access this subsidy plan.
About Eurona
Eurona Wireless Telecom (EWT), is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company that offers broadband access services, new generation, and carries high-speed Internet where others do not, using wireless and satellite technologies. The multinational, which is listed on the Alternative Stock Market (MAB) since 2010, has a presence in more than 20 countries and has more than 40,000 customers.
