Spanish telcos criticise TV tax regime
April 13, 2021
From David Del Valle in Madrid
During the Wake Up! Spain forum, Orange and Vodafone, the second and the third telco operators in the country, have asked the Administration to clarify the 5G regulation, reduce the price of 5G licences and alleviate the local taxes.
“Spain is one of the countries with the least return of investment in Europe and this is going to be a problem,” stated Colman Deegan, CEO of Vodafone Spain adding: “Investments are key in the technological development and Spain is the country with the most taxes on TV, with an expensive spectrum and many local taxes. We want to extend 5G across Spain as soon as possible but it is necessary to make changes to make it attractive.”
The CEO of Orange Spain, Francois Fallacher, requested a clearer legal framework and consolidation in the market as the investments to be made are very high (Orange invests around 20 per cent of its revenues)
“In Spain we have a lot of competitors. In US and China, there are three operators and in Europe over 140. In Spain, we have many players that are not investing and lowering the prices, making investment difficult in the country,” said Fallacher.