RESIDENTS cut off from 'digital civilisation' in the north-eastern region of Aragón can look forward to faster, reliable internet connections – or simply having an internet connection – thanks to a move to get 700 towns and villages connected within the next three years.
Much of the region, which starts at the Pyrénées in its northermost province of Huesca and runs about a third of the way down the mainland, is very rural and isolated, which is part of its enduring charm but can be inconvenient on a day-to-day basis.
Most of the southernmost province of Teruel, whose capital 'city' has just 30,000 inhabitants, is open countryside with numerous villages whose headcount barely runs into treble figures – despite its being home to some of Spain's most popular ski slopes and less than a two-hour drive from the country's third-largest city, Valencia.
And, in fact, Aragón's largest city and capital of its 'middle' province, Zaragoza, is the fourth-largest in Spain.
But now, regional president Javier Lambán has signed a deal with the three provincial councils or Diputaciones of Huesca, Zaragoza and Teruel in a meeting attended by representatives from Vodafone, Orange, Telefónica, Quantis and Masmóvil to get the region hooked up.
Whilst the rest of Spain is working on a gradual roll-out of 4G, 5G and fibreoptic – depending upon how developed their regions are – Aragón simply wants to guarantee access to a 20MB broadband internet connection.
Everyone in Aragón will be able to get online – and stay online – before the year 2020, Lambán stresses.
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