EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Masmovil CEO Meinrad Spenger (pictured) is confident the company now has the resources to take the fight to larger rivals in Spain, following its acquisition of the country’s smallest player Yoigo in 2016.

Speaking in an interview at Mobile World Congress, Spenger said buying Yoigo had propelled the company from operating as an MVNO to the country’s fourth largest operator, and it was now well placed to do battle in the crowded convergence market of the country.

Masmovil, founded 11 years ago, acquired Yoigo in June 2016 for €479 million. The latter had approximately 3.3 million connections and a 7 per cent market share at the time of acquisition.

Spenger explained the company now had “the best coverage in Spain”, as it also leverages the networks of both Telefonica and Orange in the country. It also operates broadband services, with 7 million fibre to the home customers.

“We are the only one [operator] that has access to three networks, so we will always have the competitive advantage there,” he said.

“In broadband, we will compete with more or less the same infrastructure, but we are also a digital company. We are familiar with giving good service and high satisfaction rates to our clients, in comparison to the traditional operator.”

In the interview, Spenger discussed how the company – given its roots as a digital player – operates with a different approach to the country’s other mobile carriers. Click here to watch.