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WIFI

Revealed: The 500 Spanish villages that will soon get free WiFi

The EU is giving more than 500 Spanish municipalities free internet for its public spaces. Find out if your village, town or city in Spain has been selected.

Revealed: The 500 Spanish villages that will soon get free WiFi
Photo: Deposit Photos

If you own a home in rural Spain and have wondered whether it’s worth getting WiFi installed when you only spend part of your time there, this could be a very useful cost saver. 

The European Commission will grant €15,000 to 510 municipalities in Spain for the installation, equipment and maintenance of WiFi connections in their squares, parks, health centres, museums, libraries and other public spaces. 

But there are also Spanish towns and cities that will get the free WiFi4EU competition grant, including Seville, Segovia, Lleida, León and Logroño.

A total of 3,400 municipalities around Europe have been picked to receive the internet voucher, amounting to €120 million.

Spain is the country that received the most donations.

To find out if your Spanish town or village has been chosen, quickly scroll down the following list:

*If you want to find out what municipalities in other EU countries have been selected, click here

Abarán
Abegondo
Abrera
Aguilar de la Frontera
Agullana
Ajamil de Cameros
Alaejos
Alaró
Albalat dels Sorells
Albalate del Arzobispo
Alberic
Albondón
Alborache
Alcaracejos
Alcobendas
Alcolea del Río
Alcora, l'
Alcoy
Aldeatejada
Algaba, La
Algarinejo
Alginet
Alhaurín de la Torre
Almanza
Almedinilla
Almegíjar
Almendralejo
Almoharín
Almoster
Almuñécar
Altea
Andilla
Anguiano
Anievas
Antas
Aranda de Duero
Aras de los Olmos
Arbeca
Arboleas
Arcenillas
Arenys de Munt
Areso
Argamasilla de Alba
Arganda del Rey
Argelaguer
Arroyo de San Serván
Ateca
Ávila
Avilés
Babilafuente
Bailén
Ballesteros de Calatrava
Balmaseda
Baña, A
Barañain
Barco de Ávila, El
Barraco, El
Barrios, Los
Batea
Bayarque
Beas de Segura
Beire
Benacazón
Beniarbeig
Benicasim
Benifaió
Beniflá
Bienvenida
Blanca
Blascosancho
Boltaña
Borja
Bornos
Borrassà
Breda
Brieva de Cameros
Buenavista del Norte
Bujalance
Buñol
Burgo, El
Burguillos del Cerro
Burjassot
Cabezas de San Juan, Las
Cádiar
Calafell
Calonge i Sant Antoni
Calvià
Camarles
Campoo de Enmedio
Camprodon
Camprovín
Canales de la Sierra
Cañaveral
Candamo
Candelario
Candeleda
Canet d'En Berenguer
Cangas del Narcea
Canicosa de la Sierra
Canillas de Abajo
Cantalapiedra
Cantalejo
Capileira
Capolat
Carataunas
Carcabuey
Carcaixent
Carcedo de Burgos
Cardedeu
Cardeña
Cardeñadijo
Carlet
Carmona
Casar de Cáceres
Casariche
Cascante
Cassà de la Selva
Castell, Es
Castellanos de Moriscos
Castellar del Vallès
Castellfollit de Riubregós
Castelló d'Empúries
Castellón de la Plana
Castellterçol
Castellví de Rosanes
Castilleja de la Cuesta
Castro-Urdiales
Cazalla de la Sierra
Cebreros
Cehegín
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cervelló
Ceutí
Chiclana de la Frontera
Chilches
Chiloeches
Cirueña
Ciutadilla
Coaña
Corbins
Cornudella de Montsant
Corte de Peleas
Cortes y Graena
Corvera de Asturias
Cuarte de Huerva
Cubas de la Sagra
Cuervo de Sevilla, El
Cuevas de San Marcos
Cúllar Vega
Cumbres Mayores
Cunit
Daimiel
Écija
Ejea de los Caballeros
Elgoibar
Encina de San Silvestre
Encinas Reales
Errenteria
Escalona del Prado
Esparreguera
Estaràs
Estépar
Ezcaray
Finestrat
Flix
Foz
Fresno el Viejo
Fuente Obejuna
Fuenteguinaldo
Fuentesecas
Fuliola, La
Gabiria
Galaroza
Gáldar
Galinduste
Galisteo
Gandesa
Gandia
Garcia
Gata de Gorgos
Gátova
Gejuelo del Barro
Gelves
Gerena
Gestalgar
Getaria
Gironella
Gójar
Gomecello
Gormaz
Gósol
Gotarrendura
Gradefes
Granja de Torrehermosa
Grove, O
Guadiana del Caudillo
Guardo
Guijo de Ávila
Guijo de Galisteo
Herbés
Herrera del Duque
Higuera la Real
Horcajo de Montemayor
Hospital de Órbigo
Hospitalet de Llobregat, L'
Hostalric
Hoyo de Pinares, El
Huércal-Overa
Ibias
Isla Cristina
Istán
Jalón de Cameros
Jaramillo de la Fuente
Jasa
Layana
Lekunberri
Lena
León
Leza de Río Leza
Linares
Linares de Riofrío
Lladorre
Llambilles
Llanes
Llanos del Caudillo
Llavorsí
Lleida
Lobras
Logroño
Lorca
Luesia
Lumbreras
Luque
Madremanya
Madrigal de las Altas Torres
Magacela
Mairena del Aljarafe
Maldà
Malgrat de Mar
Manacor
Manises
Manresa
Mansilla de la Sierra
Manzanal de Arriba
Marín
Marines
Martos
Maside
Massalfassar
Matadepera
Matapozuelos
Medina del Campo
Merindad de Río Ubierna
Miguelturra
Molar, El (Madrid)
Molins de Rei
Montblanc
Montbrió del Camp
Montellano
Montesinos, Los
Montmeló
Montornès del Vallès
Montoro
Montserrat
Monturque
Monzón
Móra d'Ebre
Moralzarzal
Morata de Tajuña
Muel
Murias de Paredes
Muro de Aguas
Muros de Nalón
Muskiz
Mutxamel
Nalec
Navaleno
Navales
Navalperal de Pinares
Navalvillar de Pela
Navarcles
Navarredonda de la Rinconada
Navarrevisca
Navas de Estena
Navas de la Concepción, Las
Nules
Obejo
Olesa de Montserrat
Oliva de la Frontera
Olost
Omells de na Gaia, Els
Oña
Onil
Ordes
Orihuela
Otero de Herreros
Oviedo
Padules
Palau d'Anglesola, El
Palau-saverdera
Palau-solità i Plegamans
Palencia
Palma del Río
Palomar, el
Pampaneira
Papatrigo
Paracuellos
Parada de Sil
Partido de la Sierra en Tobalina
Paso, El
Paterna
Paterna del Río
Pedrajas de San Esteban
Pedrosas, Las
Pelayos
Peñaflor
Peñamellera Baja
Peñarandilla
Peñascosa
Peníscola
Peracense
Pescueza
Piedralaves
Pinos Puente
Pintanos, Los
Pitillas
Pizarra
Pobla de Lillet, La
Pobla de Massaluca, La
Polinyà
Ponferrada
Ponga
Pontedeume
Porreres
Porto do Son
Pórtugos
Póveda de Soria, La
Poza de la Sal
Pradoluengo
Preixana
Préjano
Proaza
Puebla de Cazalla, La
Puerto Moral
Puertollano
Punta Umbría
Quartell
Rafelbunyol
Rágama
Rasines
Real de Gandía
Regencós
Regumiel de la Sierra
Reinosa
Reus
Ribadavia
Ribeira
Riello
Riells i Viabrea
Rincón de Soto
Rinconada, La
Rioseco de Soria
Riudaura
Robledillo de la Vera
Rocafort de Queralt
Rodezno
Rollán
Roquetes
Royo, El
Rus
Salas de los Infantes
Sales de Llierca
Salt
Samboal
San Agustín del Guadalix
San Antonio de Benagéber
San Bartolomé de la Torre
San Juan del Olmo
San Lorenzo de El Escorial
San Martín de la Vega
San Martín del Rey Aurelio
San Sadurniño
San Sebastián de los Reyes
San Silvestre de Guzmán
San Vicente de la Sonsierra
San Vicente del Raspeig
Sangüesa
Sant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Climent Sescebes
Sant Esteve Sesrovires
Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Guim de Freixenet
Sant Jordi Desvalls
Sant Julià de Vilatorta
Sant Mateu
Sant Miquel de Fluvià
Sant Pere de Ribes
Sant Pere de Vilamajor
Sant Pere Pescador
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
Sant Salvador de Guardiola
Sant Vicenç de Montalt
Santa Brígida
Santa Cruz de la Salceda
Santa Eugènia de Berga
Santa Margarida de Montbui
Santa Margarida i els Monjos
Santa María de los Llanos
Santa María de Sando
Santa María del Berrocal
Santa Marina del Rey
Santa Marta de Magasca
Santanyí
Santillana del Mar
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Santo Domingo de Silos
Santpedor
Sanxenxo
Sardón de los Frailes
Sasamón
Segovia
Senyera
Serra
Serranillos del Valle
Sestrica
Seu d'Urgell, La
Sevilla
Siles
Singra
Sojuela
Soleràs, El
Somiedo
Soriguera
Sorvilán
Sotillo de la Adrada
Susinos del Páramo
Tales
Tapia de Casariego
Taradell
Tarragona
Tàrrega
Tavèrnoles
Tejeda
Teror
Terrassa
Tocina
Tomares
Tomiño
Tona
Tornabous
Torralba de los Sisones
Torreblascopedro
Torrejón de Ardoz
Torres de la Alameda
Torresandino
Torrijo del Campo
Torroella de Montgrí
Torrox
Toses
Trujillo
Ujué
Ullastrell
Unión, La
Utiel
Utrillas
Valdelacasa de Tajo
Valdenebro
Valdetorres de Jarama
Valdoviño
Valencia
Valencia de Alcántara
Valencia del Mombuey
Vall d'en Bas, La
Valle de Tobalina
Valoria la Buena
Valtorres
Valverde de Burguillos
Valverde del Camino
Vedra
Vega de Liébana
Vigo
Vilablareix
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilalba
Vilalba Sasserra
Vilanova d'Escornalbou
Villa del Campo
Villa del Prado
Villa del Rey
Villadangos del Páramo
Villafranca de Córdoba
Villafranca del Campo
Villaherreros
Villamediana de Iregua
Villamejil
Villanueva de Argaño
Villanueva Mesía
Villar del Arzobispo
Villaralbo
Villares de Órbigo
Villarramiel
Villasdardo
Villaseco de los Gamitos
Villaseco de los Reyes
Villaviciosa de Córdoba
Villaviciosa de Odón
Villena
Vimianzo
Viniegra de Abajo
Xirivella

Reserve List:

Alhendín
Badajoz
Baterno
Carolina, La
Castellar
Castro Caldelas
Cobeña
Esparragosa de la Serena
Fuentepelayo
Grado, El
Jávea
Maià de Montcal
Oso, El
Sant Lluís
Santa Maria d'Oló 

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TRANSPORT

EXPLAINED: How Germany is finally set to improve Wifi and phone signal on trains

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn says it will seriously improve the country's notoriously patchy Wifi and phone signal on trains. How will it get up to speed?

EXPLAINED: How Germany is finally set to improve Wifi and phone signal on trains
A passenger connects to the on-board Wifi on a train in Frankfurt. Photo: picture alliance / Andreas Arnold/dpa | Andreas Arnold

What’s going on? 

The chairman of Deutsche Bahn appeared in a press conference with the CEO of Deutsche Telekom on Wednesday to announce a new partnership which they say will “radically improve” Wifi and phone signal throughout the German rail network.

From 2026, the companies want all passengers be able to make calls and surf the internet on all routes without interruption and with vastly improved data rates. 

READ ALSO: ‘We’re running late on this’: Deutsche Bahn promises better Wifi on German trains by 2026

In a press release following the announcement, Telekom CEO Timotheus Höttges said the companies wanted to make Germany “more digital”. 

“Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn have a shared responsibility for their customers,” he said. “That’s why we are now also tackling the issue of rail coverage together and want to ensure that customers can make phone calls, surf and stream in the best quality.”

So, what’s the plan? 

Bahn and Telekom are basically planning to build out the network coverage of the railways step by step over a period of five years.

The German rail network covers almost 34,000 kilometres, with around 7,800 kilometres of this making up the country’s key rail routes for ICE and IC trains. This is the part of the rail network that the two companies plan to focus on first, with the aim of providing seamless coverage by 2024. 

By 2025, the companies plan to supply another 2,000 daily passengers with consistent Wifi by covering another 13,800 kilometres of busy rail networks.

Then, the following year, travellers on smaller regional routes will also get phone signal on their trains – in some cases for the first time. 

Telekom said it would be putting around 800 new cell sites into operation in the coming years, as well as expanding its capacity at hundreds of other sites in order to improve the mobile network all along the railway lines. 

Sounds expensive. Who’s paying?

It certainly is. The expansion to the network will likely to cost hundreds of millions of euros, with Telekom and Bahn splitting the costs between them.

According to Höttges, Telekom has invested €700 million into railway mobile networks since 2015, and plans to invest a further €300 million over the next five years. 

Meanwhile, the Bahn has set aside €150-200 million to invest in the project.

READ ALSO: Delayed train? Germany’s Deutsche Bahn to give online refunds for first time

It’s unclear if this will include money from government subsidies, though the German Minister for Transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU), did appear with the two companies at the press conference in Berlin on Wednesday.

Deutsche Bahn is a private, joint-stock enterprise, though the German government is its sole shareholder.

Is the mobile network situation really that bad?

While Germany is in the midst of digitalising its economy, the train network is widely regarded as one of the weakest areas of mobile network coverage. According the a report by the Federal Network Agency, mobile network providers currently only supply around 94.4 to 98.2 percent of the railway routes with service.

While this may not sound particularly bad, the result is often patchy signal, interminable dead zones, and phone calls that continuously cut out – especially on Germany’s smaller regional train routes. 


The Wifi symbol is displayed on the door of a German high-speed train. Photo: picture alliance / Soeren Stache/dpa | Soeren Stache

At present, there are around 550 more antennas needed near railway tracks to provide passengers with decent mobile reception. 

According to Höttges, trains in Austria and Switzerland offer much better Wifi and mobile service than in Germany.

Haven’t we been here before? 

You could say this is something of an ongoing project.

Passengers have been clamouring for better Wifi on German trains for years, and in 2015, the government stipulated that the mobile networks on rail routes had to improve.

At this point, the telecoms companies were given a deadline of 2019, which Höttges made reference to in his speech at the press conference. 

“We’re running late with this, I’m aware of that,” he told reporters. 

In 2019, the government set a target of achieving 100mb-per-second internet across all the busiest train routes in Germany by 2022.

Does this mean we’ll have superfast broadband on trains soon?

Not exactly. From 2024/5, Deutsche Telekom is promising data rates of up 200mb per second along all major rail routes, which is considered an average base speed for urban areas. 

According to tech blogger Ken Lo of Ken’s Tech Tips, with 200mp-per-second download speeds, you can watch eight ultra-HD films on eight different devices, or download an entire album of music in three seconds. 

In other words, it should be more than enough to watch a film or two on a train journey.

For smaller regional train routes, passengers can expect speeds of 100mb per second, which still counts as “fast” broadband, but on the lower end of the scale. 

Does it matter that I don’t have a Telekom mobile contract?

If you enjoy making phone calls on trains, it could be beneficial to get Telekom as your mobile network provider, since the increased reception will primarily benefit people with Telekom contracts.

However, if you just like using the on-train Wifi, your provider won’t make a great deal of difference, since you’ll be connecting to Telekom’s wireless network anyway. 

READ ALSO: Deutsche Bahn to introduce its own ‘Siri’ to better assist customers

It’s also important to mention that the other mobile network providers haven’t been resting entirely on their laurels.

Vodafone and Telefonica have also been involved in talks with Deutsche Bahn about improving the mobile signal along the rail network in line with government targets. 

According to recent news reports, these talks are still ongoing. 

What are people saying about it?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Minister for Transport Andreas Scheuer (CSU), who had pushed for a deal between the two firms, hailed the move as an end to the ‘I have no network’ era.

“Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom are showing the way by systematically closing the gaps in the mobile network on all rail routes and significantly increasing data rates once again,” he said in a statement. “This is what the future of train travel looks like.”

But not everyone was as excited by the promise of better mobile reception – or the 2026 deadline – as Andreas Scheuer.

Sharing a picture of the Morgenpost on Twitter, software developer Andrew France summed up the news story in a single line.

“Hot of the press is that you’ll be able to make phone calls on trains from 2026,” he wrote. 

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