Broadband in Barcelona: reality and trends

In this article we analyse Barcelona’s broadband. To start with, maybe you are asking yourself: what is broadband? So, we want to start answering this question, thus you can understand better the article, in collaboration with Inés Rey de Olano (Pompeu Fabra University).

Broadband is a high-speed connection to the internet. Before broadband exists, internet access was achieved with ‘narrowband’ up connections that were very slow by today’s standards. Broadband is quicker and allows us to do more on the internet

The Spanish evolution of broadband

We will try to answer the many questions that arise when talking about broadband in Spain, in collaboration with John McAulay Solé. The internet appeared in the country for the first time in the early 1990s: the first Spanish commercial internet provider, Goya Servicios Telemáticos, was born in 1992, and only a year later the first Spanish web server started working in the Iberian country. 

Since then, internet has gone a very long way. In only a quarter of a century, it has gone from being an unknown futuristic concept to an element of every-day use. According to the Asociación de Usuarios de Internet, in 1996 there were only 320,000 internet users in Spain. Since then, that number has risen by more than 12,000% – up to 39.42 million users in 2018. Another interesting stat is the number of people who connect to the internet through their mobile phone. Last year, more than 35 million Spaniards used the internet through these devices, even though this is something which has only been possible since little over a decade ago.

The adaptation of television to HbbTV

The growth of the television offer of HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV) and the intention to reinforce the weight of the television service by cable telecommunication operators can convergently converge in a diaphanous intersection between audiovisual and telecommunications.

HbbTV is an interactive standard that, unlike Smart TV, confers power to networks, not manufacturers. Dialogue options with the end customer are multiplied, which can trigger creative news from the journalistic and audiovisual point of view and more seductive formulas from the advertising perspective.

Broadband and its local spreading

Which is the situation of Broadband at local sphere? Broadband Society embraces the municipal activity. It is known that broadband was born in extension of the path information does to all types of communication systems, like enterprises, media or your house. 

Broadband services were promoted by the potency of technology terminals, the support of new communication infrastructures – like fiber optic – and the initiative of administrations and industry (Redes de Banda Ancha). We analyse, in collaboration with Irina Carnicero Moreno, the Catalan case, focusing in Malgrat de Mar (a small village). 

Nuevos hitos del blog científico Telecomunicaciones y Periodismo: 60 millones de páginas vistas, 60 mil impactos

¡Más de 60 millones de páginas vistas, más de 60 mil impactos según Google! Datos positivos para iniciar por todo lo alto un 2020 que deseo sea fructífero para todas y para todos. Agradezco enormemente el reconocimiento y el bonito resultado cuantitativo del blog científico Telecomunicaciones y Periodismo, que continúa sumando alegrías. Los contenidos sobre la Sociedad de la Banda Ancha van acumulándose en un blog lleno de ilusión y espíritu de análisis, en plena vorágine de cloud journalism.  

Uno de los aspectos que más agradecemos es la ingente cifra de enlaces (backlinks) generados. La hipertextualidad es uno de los indicadores de calidad y de autoridad de un sitio web, y además la mayor parte de esos enlaces hacia nuestro blog provienen de entidades de prestigio: artículos científicos indexados, medios de comunicación, otros blogs especializados, redes sociales de referencia y una plétora de páginas diversas. 

Els primers passos de l’HbbTV

La Societat de la Banda Ampla vibra amb l’estàndard HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV), el de la televisió interactiva, que promou una òptima monetització de les inversions publicitàries i noves opcions multimèdia.

La televisió híbrida, les darreres investigacions sobre la qual vaig exposar a l'XI Congreso Internacional Latina de Comunicación Social (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife), al qual  agraeixo l'excel·lent acollida i reconeixement, va començar a gatejar a Espanya mitjançant TDTcom, una aportació tecnològica de l'empresa Abertis Telecom, que ha evolucionat i des de 2015 es denomina Cellnex. A França (TNT2.0), Itàlia (TIVU) i Regne Unit (YouView) es creen iniciatives semblants. D’aquesta manera, la interoperabilitat és plausible.

Barcelona, an open digital hub

The protagonism of Catalonia and Barcelona in the broadband development is high. We analyse in collaboration with Héctor Gasulla, Andy Causse and Adrià Laborda the broadband reality in Catalonia, focusing on its capital, which has an interesting history behind it. The importance of communication in Barcelona has been so great throughout its history. 

It is well known that telecommunication is a powerful weapon to control the public opinion from the population and manipulate information such as in the Civil War. One of the best examples were the 18th July 1936 and the May Days of 1937. Although Internet didn’t arrive until the late 1990’s, communications were so important in this period of Spain’s History. We are talking about radio, telephonic lines and telegraphs were so important these days and were used for informing the population, but also to point which are the real enemies.

Banda ampla i HbbTV: la santa aliança

Un dels fenòmens més atractius i rupturistes dels últims anys (de fet, ja de fa gairebé un decenni) és l’aparició de l’estàndar de televisió interactiva HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV), que s’ha demostrat que permet una millor monetització de les inversions publicitàries.

De fet, tenim l’honor d’haver assolit i portar a terme una recerca inclosa en el Projecte Reptes de la Direcció General d'Investigació Científica i Tècnica, Subdirecció General de Projectes d'Investigació, Ministeri d'Economia, Indústria i Competitivitat, "Noves formes de publicitat interactiva en televisió, Internet i els mitjans digitals. Aplicacions reals en HbbTV "(CSO2017-88895-R), des de Blanquerna-Universitat Ramon Llull, CECABLE, Cellnex i altres entitats

Broadband in Maresme and Mataró

Broadband is necessary. In Catalonia, the most remarkable changes that have been done in the broadband sector is related to the rural zones, a problematic that has been faced mostly via WiMAX technology, creating a network called Banda Ancha Rural (BAR). We will analyze this case and the Maresme and the Mataró case, with Neus Masnou, from UPF.

When it comes to the situation in Spain, the downloading speed is of 15,25Mbps, a little bit under the media on the European Union, that reaches a speed of 18,44Mbps.

Some keys for broadband in Spain

Like any other country in the world, Spain has its own broadband world that it’s important to know, especially if you’re Spanish or based in Spain. To understand Spain’s broadband system and the evolution of its Broadband Society, we have to take into account different things, and we analyze it in collaboration with Aina Velasco. 

First of all, we must know the biggest and most important providers. Movistar is, without any doubts, the biggest broadband provider of the whole country, and it’s owned by the telecommunications giant Telefonica.