Movistar will be the first European operator to turn off ADSL completely

The transition to 100% fiber It is a reality that is getting closer every day and Movistar will celebrate Telefónica’s anniversary leaving only a few remains of ADSL, being able to say that almost 100% of all the centers that provided service have been closed.

Telefónica’s centenary is the key

Since the first two closed in 2014 copper plantsSant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) and Torrelodones (Madrid), there has been a long process through which Telefónica has been getting rid of the thousands it had in place.

On April 19, 2023, on the occasion of Telefónica’s 99th anniversary, the definitive end of this process was announced, which will conclude next year, coinciding with the centenary. In this way, the operator gives the definitive boost to the technological renewal of its fixed networks to increase performance and speed of service while reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The closure process is advancing at a steady pace since Telefónica plans to get rid of these facilities as soon as possible. “At Telefónica Spain we are committed to offering the best connectivity to all our customers. With the communication of the shutdown of all copper plants and the decision to stop registering this technology [no se permiten desde ese 19/4/2023]we move forward to have a 100% fiber fixed network”, were the words of Emilio Gayo, president of Telefónica Spain.

Thanks to this milestone promoted by Telefónica, Spain will become the first of the large European countries and one of the first in the world to say goodbye definitively to ADSL. It’s not bad to be pioneers and leaders in something from time to time. For comparative reasons, the situation in other countries is much more relaxed. Germany does not have a defined date and other European powers such as the United Kingdom or France estimate to carry out the transition in 2030.

San Sebastián, last place with Movistar ADSL?

This shutdown of ADSL in the month of April 2024 can be considered symbolic, since there is a specific place that will last a few more weeks with this technology. We talk about the curious power plant of the central San Marcial It is located in the historic center of San Sebastián.

This plant serves an important part of the historic center of San Sebastián, which is subject to a special protection that does not allow overhead lines, including telecommunications. Therefore, the deployment of the fiber network following the regulations set by the City Council implies costs that made its execution unfeasible. In this way, it was a problem to dismantle said copper plant.

However, the National Markets and Competition Commission reported last October that an agreement had finally been reached between the San Sebastián City Council and Telefónica, which finally gave a closing date: May 29, 2024. As we see, it will be a little after the last large group of centrals in the centenary. If you are curious about how the problem has been resolved, the fiber deployment will be carried out through the pipes of the old town, with 3 operators who will carry out the works and assume and divide the costs and then share the infrastructure.

In reality, even after this obstacle has been overcome in San Marcial, although the bulk of the ADSL plants will be dismissed next year in 2024, there will be others that, for different reasons, mainly the completion of the relevant works to install the fiber network, will not close. until later dates. On May 27, 2025, several dozen plants will close and there will still be two that will last until 2026. These will be two plants located in Malaga, Larios CT TSM and Manilva, both of which are scheduled to close their doors permanently on March 10. That day, barring surprise or change over the next few years, will be the final goodbye for a technology that has had great importance in Spain.