Public optical fiber is yet to reach one-third of municipalities in Terres de l'Ebre

Catalonia's public optical fiber service continues to expand with around 75% of the territory connected. However, in Terres de l'Ebre, the southernmost area of the territory, one-third of the municipalities still wait for the service to reach them.

Currently, 35 municipalities in Terres de l'Ebre are connected to the Catalan government's main optical fiber network, representing 67% of the area. Yet, construction is still underway in five municipalities, while work has not yet started in 12 others, where planning is still in progress.

The network project has accelerated with the European Union funds in recent months. Authorities expect to invest around €80 million in 2025 and 2026 to expand the infrastructure further.

Works in Terres de l'Ebre are happening in Batea and Gandesa, both in the Terra Alta county, as well as in Benifallet and the area of Camarles in Baix Ebre county. Alcanar and Galera in Montsià also have construction works underway.

Out of the other twelve municipalities, half have the construction project prepared, and the other are still pending work.

Catalonia’s public optical fiber network is currently only accessible to government-managed institutions such as schools, health centers, and offices. However, surplus capacity is offered to telecommunications companies to sell it to end-users.

In total, the public network spans around 5,000 kilometers, with another 2,000 kilometers under construction and an additional 1,500 kilometers already planned. The initiative aims to connect more than 8,000 government-owned institutions across Catalonia, projecting annual savings of approximately €20 million.

Private telecommunication companies also benefit of the network as "it helps them reach rural areas where providing an optical fiber connection would be challenging if it depended solely on private companies," Albert Tort, secretary of telecommunications and digital transformation, said to the Catalan News Agency (ACN).