Telefónica implements state-of-the-art 4G technology in Benidorm's street furniture

The project, pioneer at the national level, distributes the 4G mobile signal through 'small cells' a small device integrated into the street lamps, traffic lights or bus stops in the municipality.

Telephone, in collaboration with Benidorm City Council, has installed in the urban furniture around the beaches of Poniente and Levante 16 'small cells', the latest 4G signal distribution technology developed by the Telecommunications Company's R&D department. These devices, that are installed for the first time in Spain in an urban environment, will allow to increase the maximum speed of the 4G mobile network in areas of high data demand.

Street lamps, Traffic lights, bus stops and phone booths will integrate this technology that allows users to navigate 4 times faster, to 150 Mbps downstream and 50 of ascent in both beaches and their commercial areas. Restaurants, leisure venues and shops will have the same quality of mobile coverage inside as the outdoor area that covers the promenades and the coastal strip. In this sense, for Telefónica the main objective of the project in Benidorm is to provide the best technology to the areas with the highest influx of visitors, significantly improving the conditions of Internet coverage for users and tourists.

In order to carry out this initiative, we have worked directly with the City Council of the town, that has made it possible to install the 16 'small cells' in elements that integrate urban furniture. For its part, Telefónica has invested 120.000 euros in deploying this state-of-the-art technology in one of the most internationally recognized Spanish tourist destinations.

In fact, the estimates of the tourism sector indicate that this year more than 5,3 millions of tourists, national and international, reason that has led Telefónica to opt for this municipality to carry out the first national pilot of these devices.

Reinforcement of mobile coverage

In addition to the implementation of this innovative project in the municipality of Benidorm, Telefónica has reinforced mobile coverage on the beaches of the Costa Blanca.

The increase in the influx of visitors, which multiplies by three the number of inhabitants in the towns of the Alicante coast, supposes an increase of a 50% of the number of mobile interactions (calls and data, chiefly). That's why, since June, Telefónica has invested one million euros in Alicante to strengthen its mobile infrastructures.

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