Orange launches its first 700MHz, 5G switch

To commission this node, a temporary license, given that the spectrum assignment was acquired by each operator in the frequency auction held last July by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. The aim of this initiative is to provide service to the many pilots whose operator operates in the Valencian Community within the framework of 5G National Plan, on the initiative Red.es.

In the above-mentioned auction, Orange acquired 2 x 10MHz spectrum in 700MHz band. According to the company, this acquisition makes the company the operator with the most spectrum in the two priority bands for deploying 5G technology, since it also has 110MHz in the 3.5GHz band. In total, Orange . has invested 523 million euros in the acquisition of these frequencies.

700MHz, baseband

The 700MHz band is defined by Orange as “essential” to deliver 5G coverage in 100% of the area, for Greater range offered by lower frequencies. The company expects it will enable Ultra-low latency It will be allowed to carry out Mile (The massive Internet of things, massive machine-to-machine communications). In the short term, it will complete the scope 3.5 GHz which has already been deployed, and improve the service of raw data (information sent from the user to the network) for 5G users.

While waiting for the launch of the new 700MHz frequencies, it continues to progress in the deployment of its 5G network in Spain, through which it already reaches 626 municipalities in 38 provinces (including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla), with coverage. 37% of the total population is in Spain. The company plans to have 5G coverage reach half of Spain’s population in 2021.