In a significant development in Spain’s telecommunications sector, MasOrange has expanded its 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network across the nation, collaborating with Ericsson. This enhancement targets major cities, including Madrid and Barcelona, rolling out advanced radio access network (RAN) technology to improve the existing 5G standalone network. By offering features like carrier aggregation, Reduced Capability (RedCap), and Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Throughput (L4S), MasOrange aims to enhance spectrum efficiency, reduce latency, and support a diverse set of devices.
The network upgrade unlocks several potential applications, such as cloud gaming, real-time video, augmented and virtual reality, as well as smart connected wearables. The potential for these applications builds on the modifications targeting increased energy efficiency and consistent low-latency connectivity for time-sensitive tasks.
Another critical component of the initiative revolves around the deployment of Voice over New Radio (VoNR). This implementation facilitates voice services over the 5G standalone network, thus broadening the spectrum of services covered by MasOrange.
MasOrange has initiated the commercial rollout across 40 cities, extending the technological fringe to prominent urban regions across more than half of Spain’s autonomous communities. Capitals of provinces like Andalusia and the Valencia region are among the newly upgraded areas, allowing 5G-A services to reach approximately one-third of Spain’s population.
Included in this tech evolution are remarkable innovations like network sensing, which performs object detection with high accuracy, down to sub-10 centimeters. Features like “5G New Calling” also emerge, enhancing voice services through improved quality and real-time multimedia capabilities. These features open new possibilities for sectors like healthcare, with remote patient monitoring; transportation through connected and autonomous vehicles; manufacturing by enabling predictive maintenance; and utilities such as smart energy and water metering.
The collaboration between Orange and Masmovil in 2024 laid the foundation for this current initiative, having combined their operations following regulatory approvals. As this expansion progresses, MasOrange, along with Ericsson, continues to push Spain towards a more interconnected future, leveraging advanced technology to enhance both urban and rural connectivity.
