MasOrange, a leading mobile operator in Spain, has proudly announced the launch of the nation’s first 5G Advanced network, marking a significant milestone in its telecommunication development. This new network has been deployed in Seville, fittingly aligning with the city’s innovative eCity project.
The rollout, overseen by MasOrange, utilizes a strategic combination of mid and low bands, along with the 26 GHz spectrum and the extensive 3.5 GHz band, which is the largest held by any Spanish operator. This integration allows for groundbreaking services such as network sensing and ‘5G New Calling’.
MasOrange CEO Meinrad Spenger highlighted the collaboration with the University of Seville and local companies in developing pilot programs. The initiative is a bold leap towards next-generation connectivity and service capabilities. He stated, “We are very proud to be the first operator in Spain to use this innovative technology, which allows us to deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and support new services like ‘sensing’ and ‘5G New Calling’, improving the experience for our customers and helping us remain the most highly rated operator in Spain.”
The newly introduced 5G Advanced network marks a substantial enhancement over the existing 5G Standalone networks. With collaboration from Huawei, the network introduces advanced features, including improved connectivity for IoT applications, drones, and balloons. Such improvements are especially valuable for emergencies and remote deliveries.
Moreover, the ‘5G New Calling’ service provides enriched voice quality and multimedia features. It includes screen sharing, real-time video, and location sharing, and prioritizes calls during emergencies or heavy traffic.
In terms of network infrastructure, MasOrange continues to innovate by modernizing through Open RAN technology with assistance from Ericsson. This approach aims to build an open, software-defined infrastructure that enhances service deployment flexibility and operational efficiency.
The company is also making substantial financial commitments, earmarking a 4 billion euro investment in further expanding 5G and fiber optic networks. This is in conjunction with its recent joint venture with Vodafone Spain, expected to form Europe’s largest fiber network under the name FiberCo.
