Farewell to ADSL: People in Spain will be left without Internet?

02, May - NEWS

With Telefónica's decision to stop using copper networks, April 19 has become the date to eliminate them. The era of copper cables is coming to an end, which means the end of ADSL technology, a way of connecting to the Internet over wired networks. Instead, newer technologies are being favored, especially in Spain, where fiber optics is one of the world's leading technologies.

ADSL has become a thing of the past for internet connectivity in Spain. This technology has undoubtedly played an important role in the digitalization process, but as technology advances, its support is no longer meaningful. However, a large number of users in Spain still use this technology, which means that unless action is taken, they could literally be left without internet.

While this is not unexpected, as the process of finally shutting down copper has been several years in the making, the problem remains. The shutdown of the last copper plant means that users and service providers will have to find alternatives and in record time.

Although fiber is already standard in Spain, one in ten users will not be able to switch to fiber because it is not deployed in their area. This forces people to look for alternatives, such as mobile internet or satellite internet services, or to turn to providers that provide services after the copper lines have been disconnected.

This problem is not unique to Telefónica: by the end of 2023, Vodafone had around 14,000 customers still using copper paired connections, while Orange, another large operator, had 241,000 active ADSL lines on the same dates.

Although operators are trying to offer customers alternatives, many are still unresolved. If they don't switch to other networks once the copper lines are disconnected, they will be left without Internet access.

Many of these subscribers realized this only by April 19, when they suddenly had to do without Internet and began a hasty search for other options.