Telefonica flagged the expansion of its 5G network coverage throughout Spain, with a particular focus on coastal towns to tackle an annual influx of tourists.

The operator stated coverage is being improved in a total of 312 towns, of which 226 are located in coastal areas. Key focus regions include Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Asturias, Murcia and the Basque Country.

Telefonica started to use 700MHz frequencies for 5G in February and will switch on more than 500 sites in this band in the coming months.

Its goal is to deploy 5G on 700MHz in 1,400 municipalities by the end of 2022, rising to 2,400 by the end of 2023.

Telefonica uses the Movistar brand in its domestic market. It stated its 5G network now covers 82 per cent of the population in Spain, a little less than two years after launching the service in the 3.5GHz band.