Spain gives green light to Vodafone, Telefonica to carry out 5G trials

The Spanish government has issued the permits for two 5G pilot programs in the country, which will be funded by financial resources from the state and the European Union (EU). The two 5G trials will require a total investment of over $40 million. Around $11 million will be co-funded by state agency Red.es within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The first trial will be carried out by Vodafone Spain and Chinese vendor Huawei in the cities of Pamplona, Malaga and Seville. Vodafone also announced plans to carry out another 5G trial with Ericsson in Vigo. The trials with Huawei have a budget of more than $27 million and will last for 30 months. Vodafone’s 5G trials will explore several use cases, including agriculture, health, smart cities, security and defense, economy and digital culture, digital transformation, and tourism, among others. Some of the 5G use cases will involve virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), while some others will focus on the use of drones and facial recognition.