MásMovíl to create new R+D centre in Basque Country

Spanish operator MásMovíl is to create a new R+D and innovation centre in Bizkaia, expanding the existing activity of Basque Country cable operator Euskaltel, which it owns.

The 2,600 square metre facility will be dedicated to R+D in the fields of AI cybersecurity, networks and connectivity, data analytics and IoT.

MásMovíl said the centre had the support of the provincial council of Bizkaia and would leverage Euskaltel’s relationships with educational institutions in the region.

The project will be led by Euskaltel director Jon Ander de las Fuentes.

MásMovíl said that the latest commitment to the Basque Country added to the €350 million it had already allocated to modernise infrastructure in the region.

Separately, MásMovíl is extending its 5G-based broadband offering to homes in the Asturias region of northern Spain served by Telecable, part of the Euskaltel Group.

Telecable will market the service under the combi Yes brand. MásMovíl said that about 17,000 homes outside the reach of fibre would have access to high-speed broadband as a result.

In May, Euskatel launched a new broadband offering using a combination of 5G and WiFi 6 to deliver services to areas not covered by its fixed network.

The offering, Hegan, was said to deliver broadband speeds of up to 600Mbps and will enable Euskaltel to provide broadband coverage to 98% of households in its home territory of the Basque Country.