An overview of the Spanish Mobile Telephone Operators. Movistar the state incumbant, Vodafone, Orange and Mas Mobile have extensive mobil networks. Jazztel and many others offer their service by reselling operators networks.
If you visit Andalucia frequently, then you could buy a Spanish mobile phone and a 'prepago' pre-paid SIM card for when you are in Spain. On a Spanish SIM card, you will be tied to that particular local national network. Calling abroad is still fairly expensive, but you are no longer charged for incoming calls as with non EU roaming.
Phone and broadband internet connection is now commonplace in the large cities and in the highly populated coasted areas of Andalucia. However, there are still some far-flung rural areas where internet and even land line connection is not guaranteed. Telefónica, Spanish equivalent of BT, is the main national land line provider.
Whether you have been in Spain for just a few days or for years one of the things which confuses many foreigners is telephone numbers. There is a logical system of numbering in.
When you take your mobile to another country, this usually means that you no longer have coverage from your service provider even though this is about to change under new EU rules. If you have a UK mobile that you need to use in Spain, you should contact your service provider at home at least a week before you leave.
If you are going to be a regular visitor to Spain or Andalucia, you may want to buy a SIM card and a Spanish mobile phone rather than rely on the roaming service provided by your home providor.
The majority of land-line telephone connections in Andalucia are provided by the best known telephone company in Spain, Movistar. They used to be called Telefónica and are often refered to as Telefonica. This used to be a state-owned monopoly, and still has around 80% if the market. You may decide to use other providers such as Vodaphone, Orange, Jazztel.
Although there are some regional and national fixed-line providers in Andalucia, the previously state owned monopoly, Telefónica, is still the main provider of the basic telephone line and is still the choice of almost 90% of users. Over recent years new companies have emerged, trying to bite into Telefónica’s hold on the market.
Telephoning from Spain is not difficult. The international direct dial access code is 00. Dial 00 plus the country code plus the area code and phone number. (Don't forget you may need to drop an '0' before the area code) Thus a London number from a Spanish phone becomes: 00 44 208 1234.
Mobile broadband is a type of internet used for mobile phones, laptops and tablets such the iPad when there is no WiFi or landline available. It is also known as 3G, 4G or 5G internet. 5G provides internet with speeds many times faster than current WiFi internet, however it is not currently widely available in Spain.
