rural

Bringing fiber to rural Spain does not come cheap. This interactive map tells you exactly how much it cost

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Those of us who live in urban areas take it for granted that we have fiber coverage, but there are many rural areas from Spain where fiber has taken a long time to arrive and even some where they are still waiting for it. To ensure coverage of the entire territory, the government launched subsidies for operators to deploy their network. Now we have a map to know the status of all deployments, interactive and non-profit. The map. It has been developed by Fernando García Álvarez, a software engineer who has contacted us to publicize his creation. It is an independent and non-profit initiative. Its objective was to gather all the information on fiber deployment plans, both the previous PEBA and the current UNICO plans in a single place, something that until now had to be consulted through various sources. His name is Fiber Programs and when we open it we find a heat map of the entire peninsula, with the red areas representing the areas with the greatest coverage and the yellow areas representing the least coverage. Detailed information. To obtain all the information on the different programs you have to zoom in and click on one of them. Here we can see which operator is carrying out the deployment, which plan it belongs to and other more in-depth data such as the total amount of the subsidy and the completion deadline. This is especially useful for those projects that are still underway because it allows you to know when a specific zone will be connected. Subsidies. That in 2026 there will be those who do not have a fiber connection is shocking, but there is a reason why there are still areas without this infrastructure: it is not profitable for operators to bring their infrastructure to an area where there are very few inhabitants. From this need was born the Broadband Extension Program or PEBA. The plan was active from 2013 to 2020 and subsidized almost 800 projects from more than 100 operators. In 2024, the UNICO Broadband plan took over the baton, with more than 18 million euros and with Avatel and Adamo as the main recipients of the aid. Spain and fiber. Although there are some areas left to cover, they are the least. The reality is that 95% of the Spanish territory has access to fiber optics, which places us well ahead of the European average, which is 64%. Our colleagues from Xataka Móvil made a devastating comparison: a town in Soria has better internet than Berlin. Image | Fiber Programs In Xataka | In 2023 Spain tried to create its own “Starlink” to connect the rural world: it has failed miserably

Hispasat wanted to be the “Spanish Starlink” and connect rural Spain. It has failed miserably

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At the beginning of 2023 the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation launched the UNICO Rural Demand program with a clear objective: connect 1.3 million homes and companies in rural Spain to the internet thanks to Hispasat’s satellite internet services. Two and a half years later the project has proven to be an absolute failure. The question, of course, is why. The promise. Everything seemed fantastic in that project. The idea: offer a 100 Mbps connection at a price of 35 euros per month in those areas where there was no access to networks of at least 50 Mbps. To achieve this, satellite connections from Hispasat were chosen, and the project had a budget of 76.3 million in aid. From objectives to realities. The objective was for the entire population of Spain to have access to 100 Mbps networks in 2025, and this program wanted solve this challenge for rural areas in which there was no access to lines of more than 50 Mbps. According to government estimates, the project would cover up to 1.3 million homes, but after all this time we have known the number of installations: 11,486. It is a spectacular failure. Problems from the beginning. The Government awarded Hispasat —recently purchased by Indra— this contract to provide the wholesale service. 42 companies would be in charge of distribution and installation, but as soon as the project began, there was a big problem. Eurona, which was theoretically going to be the main installer of the service (65% of the registrations would be its own), entered bankruptcy proceedings and sold his assets in Spain Serenae. Telecos did not help. The large operators have not been especially proactive, they say in five daysand they have preferred to promote their fiber or rural 5G solutions even if that meant longer waits for users. The profitability for the operators was very limited, and is estimated at around 75 euros per registration. Telefónica, which should have been the main protagonist of the project, has barely accounted for 10% of the registrations, and curiously small local companies such as Celver, Gesico or Bluetel have doubled that share. Starlink is a lot of Starlink. Added to all this is the offer of the Starlink service, which is technologically very superior and also with a more attractive price. For 29 euros per month it is possible to access speeds of up to 300 Mbps and, above all, latencies of between 25 and 40 ms thanks to its constellation of Low Orbit (LEO) satellites at an altitude of 550 km. Hispasat satellites are geostationary, they orbit at 36,000 km high and this causes latencies much higher than about 600 ms, which means that videoconferences or online games cannot be held reliably in good conditions. And now what. The failure has been so resounding that Hispasat has had to return 22 million euros of the total public aid. Of those 76.3 million that came from European Next Generation funds, 36 million were destined to finance the registration costs (installation, antenna, equipment, etc.). The remaining 40.3 million were theoretically invested in the marketing of a service that registered 128,120 eligibility consultations, of which 75,733 met and only the aforementioned 11,486 were executed. The figures are absolutely terrible. Spain emptied, Spain poorly connected. This fiasco adds to that of other programs such as subsidies UNICO 5G Active Networks who have also had to face very serious obstacles. In March, the call 2024 of said program with aid worth 161.3 million euros to continue extending 5G infrastructure in municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants. According to the Government of Spainthis project will allow 326,000 people in small towns to have access to these networks. The funds will also be used to expand 5G coverage across 6,800 km of the road network. In Xataka | SpaceX changed the space economy. Now he wants to do the same with the cost of satellites

In the rural US there are more and more towns mobilized against its construction

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The race they are in disputing Big Tech Mastering artificial intelligence is driving massive investment in data center infrastructure around the world, especially in the United States. But there are already localities that are complaining of it. In fact, some are even going so far as to ban the construction of data centers altogether. And there are several reasons for this, especially because its monstrous water consumptionelectricity and noise. An unprecedented case. Saline Township, a small rural municipality in Michigan, rejected the construction of a 100-acre data center on agricultural land. Just like account Washington Post, the developer Related Digital responded with a lawsuit, accompanied by neighbors who wanted to sell their land for the project. The city ended up giving in to the threat of a lengthy legal process, achieving only a few concessions such as limits on water use and millions of dollars for the fire department. “They were between a rock and a hard place,” explained Fred Lucas, the municipality’s attorney. Why protests are multiplying. For decades, data centers have been discrete infrastructures necessary to keep the Internet running. But the AI ​​boom has accelerated its construction at a dizzying pace, and local communities have begun to perceive its drawbacks. Ben Green, professor at the University of Michigan, points out that “there has been a real change in the last six months in terms of the public becoming more aware of what data centers are and becoming more skeptical.” What they offer and what they do not offer to cities. The promoters usually promise fiscal investment, municipal income and jobs. Related Digital, for example, offered 3.5 million dollars for affordable housing in Cheyenne, Wyoming. However, construction work is temporary and once operational, these centers require very few employees. Meanwhile, your energy consumption It drives up neighbors’ electric bills and some use large amounts of water to cool their systems. Just like account Midway, in Memphis, residents protested an xAI data center for polluting natural gas turbines. The cities that are standing up. St. Charles, Missouri, went beyond rejection, as approved unanimously a one-year moratorium prohibiting any construction of data centers. The decision came after developer CRG proposed a 178-hectare facility near drinking water wells, without disclosing expected water consumption or noise levels. “It almost looks like they were trying to force it down people’s throats,” assured a 78-year-old neighbor in the middle. CRG withdrew its application before the vote. Even with million-dollar investment, fear persists. Lordstown, Ohio, welcomed with enthusiasm part of the stargate projecta $500 billion investment led by OpenAI and SoftBank, to repurpose a former General Motors factory closed in 2019. The idea was to manufacture data center components on site, with a small demonstration facility. But when OpenAI’s announcements raised fears of a large-scale data center being set up, the city council introduced a permanent ban on new data centres, with the only exception being the already agreed installation. “People panicked,” explained in the middle Mayor Jackie Woodward. Virginia, epicenter of political debate. The data center problem has also become an election issue in Virginiaone of the states most affected by this expansion. In Prince William County, near Washington DC, Republican and Democratic candidates compete to see who can promise tougher measures against these infrastructures. “I think we should ban all future data centers,” Republican candidate Patrick Harders declared in a debate, while his Democratic rival George Stewart agreed that “the crushing weight of data centers” was a crisis, with large companies “making us, as residents, pay for their energy.” The immediate future. With a billion dollars in recent investments and the energy demand of AI growing without brakes, everything indicates that this conflict has only just begun. Technology companies need these infrastructures to promote their technology based on generative artificial intelligence, but localities in the United States are increasingly reluctant to build them. Cover image | İsmail Enes Ayhan In Xataka | ChatGPT and AI have done for hard drives what no one expected: brought them back to life

In rural Salamanca someone has had an idea to revitalize the towns: give you the bar

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Spain is full of ghost towns that are sold for a few hundred thousand euros. There are also such small towns where, unfortunately, silence is your most precious asset. And I say “unfortunately” because they are isolated areas, towns with barely a hundred inhabitants that are seeking to have a new life and that are launching initiatives to, if not maintain, stop losing population. The idea of ​​a Salamanca town is “give a present“the bar to whoever wants it. They only have one condition: Open on weekends. Rent for one euro a year. Alba Coca It is a small town in Salamanca that had its population peak in the 60s with… 273 inhabitants. Since then, free fall to 95 registered in 2024. It is another of those towns with centuries of history behind it, and another of those that have a shortage of resources due to the gradual abandonment of a population that has been migrating to the cities. To try to breathe life into the town, the City Council has had an idea: rent the municipal bar for a symbolic price: one euro a year. A few years ago, and after renovating it thanks to the help of the Salamanca Provincial Council, an Argentine family registered in the town and took over the business. He gave it life, but after returning to his country, the local, fully equipped and 200 square meters, it was abandoned again. “The bar is everything”. Dori Vicente Ciudad is the mayor of Coca de Alba and points out the importance of the place as it is not only… well, a bar, but also a center for leisure, meeting, coexistence and entertainment as it can be used as a civic center. The rent, as we say, is symbolic, but the condition is that “it must open, at least, on weekends.” In addition, the mayor comments that she asks the successful bidders to register in the town and attract people to energize it. Because the bar will not be the leisure center of Coca de Alba: it will also be the center of people from other nearby towns who could be attracted to the activities held there. A carte blanche, in short. That importance for the figure of the bar is something that anyone who lives in or visits such small towns knows well. Pedro Astudillo is the mayor of Border Zoritaanother town in Salamanca with about 150 inhabitants that also rents the bar for about 180 euros per month and is thinking of installing solar panels to alleviate expenses. “The bar is everything, the meeting place where we all get together, it is a social good,” assures the councilor, who shares the opinion with Juan Carlos Martín, mayor of Cantaracillo -190 inhabitants after reaching 825 in the 50s-. “The bar is a meeting point, you see more people on the street, it creates activity, it is a very important benefit and is essential in the municipalities,” says Juan Carlos. Cantaracillo rents his bar for 50 euros a month, and it already has license plates. Alba Coca Institutional support. This giving life to the bars of emptied Spain is not an isolated measure and, in fact, the Salamanca Provincial Council itself detailed at the end of 2023 that there was a plan to allocate some 300,000 euros so that towns that do not have active hospitality establishments can open one. Thus, each city council that requested it would have up to 30,000 euros to undertake the renovation. At the time, it was estimated that there were at least 80 towns that could benefit from subsidies and it was ensured that anyone who met the requirements would not be left without help. The conditions were similar to those of Coca de Alba: commitment to opening throughout the year with an activity of at least two days a week. It is not an isolated case. It is no longer just the symbolic price (and not so symbolic in other cases), but the commitment of the people installing solar panels or running the bar’s expenses so that the meager profits from the establishment go to whoever settles in the town to run it. Although we mention cases of Salamanca, other towns have recently launched contests to find someone to run the municipal bar. Bermellar is also in Salamanca and, apart from offer the bar for one euro, also includes housing. Towns of Burgos like Santa Cecilia have similar offers and, apart from institutional initiatives, there are also some private ones. For example, BarLab Rural is a project promoted by Mahou-San Miguel and AlmaNatura to reopen bars in towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants. There is no clear guide to attract population or, as we said, encourage what is there not to be lost. AND examples of initiatives there are lots, like promote research, create parties, give it all done or directly pay for you to move. Images | Google Maps, Tamorlan In Xataka | Spain’s industry is moving from traditional cities to Emptied Spain. The reason: renewables

Rural Spain produces more energy than consumes. And in Teruel it is already proposed to take the VAT of the electricity there

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In a recent report, the Ember Analysis Agency has demonstrated that the total electric production of Spain is 60.2%. However, the generation and distribution of energy are not equal throughout the country, and in the community of Aragon they know well. Proposition. The Aragón-teruel parliamentary group exists has registered A proposition of law in the autonomous chamber so that the collection of VAT obtained from the electricity companies is redistributed to compensate for the territories according to their energy production. The parliamentary spokesman for this training in a press conference, Tomás Guitarte, He explained that this initiative aims to compensate for those areas that produce more electricity than they consume. In his statements he has exposed the case of Aragon, which generates 9% of the country’s energy, but consumes only 4%. However, he added that with the current VAT to 21% and a forecast of 2,000 million euros, he would correspond about 180 million. Previously. The proposal has a historical basis, since it is inspired by the fee created in 1981, which compensated for the territories sacrificed in the production of electricity before being replaced by VAT in 1986. In addition, the law seeks to promote the well -being and development of The regions that generate energy, not only from the economic point of view, but also with a vision of territorial justice, where environmental and landscape impacts are compensated by the benefits generated by the energy transition. To Congress. The proposition of the law has been registered in the courts of Aragon and is protected in the Article 292 of the Regulation of the Courts of Aragon and in him Article 87 of the Constitution. This allows the proposal to be raised to the Congress of Deputies, where it would be processed if it exceeds the procedures in the Autonomous Courts. Once approved by the regional government and taken to Plenary, if accepted, it would go to Congress for processing. This proposal does not imply the creation of a new tax, but a redistribution of electric VAT income. The core of the problem. A couple of months ago, Aragon tried keep their surplusesbut the Constitutional Court stopped him. This situation reflects a broader imbalance which affects many producing communities, whose energy surplus is directed towards other regions of the country, generating tensions about the control and distribution of these resources. For that reason, there is a distancing between urban and rural areas In energy terms. While cities are provided with more energy and do not have the same installed infrastructure, rural areas have to live with large -scale facilities, thus generating an environmental impact and an imbalance in the territory. For example, Madrid only produces 4.8% of the energy that consumes and depends on territories such as Extremadura that produces an energy surplus of 423%. The next steps. The proposal is already in the Courts of Aragon and, after its approval by the regional government, it will be taken to the plenary. If approved, it will go to Congress for processing, which could take several months. Meanwhile, Aragon-teruel exists continues to struggle to ensure that energy producing communities receive fair compensation for the sacrifices they make. Image | Unspash and Unspash Xataka | In a town in Badajoz they have encountered a strength of 5,000 years ago. And a Roman with a suspicious burial

Texas installed millions of solar panels on rural land. To maintain it they have had to hire 3,000 sheep

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When one of the world’s largest solar plants was installed near his home, sheep herder JR Howard never imagined it would end up being a golden opportunity for the sheep business. Context. Despite being the main oil producer in the United States, Texas has made one of the country’s strongest bets on renewable energy to the point of surpassing California in solar production. In Milam County, just outside of Austin, is the fifth largest solar photovoltaic park in the world. Owned by SB Energy, this installation covers 1,600 hectares of rural land in solar panels, generating up to 900 W of clean energy power. 3,000 sheep. Under the shadow of hundreds of thousands of solar panels, not only insects that were previously threatened proliferate, like bees. Grass also grows healthily, which requires maintenance. The solar industry tends to rely on gas-powered lawnmowers to remove grass, which defeats the fundamental purpose of renewable energy. But SB Energy opted for a more sustainable and traditional solution for the maintenance of its land: a flock of 3,000 sheep. why sheep. In addition to the economic benefits, sheep reach grasses that lawnmowers can’t reach, such as those that grow in small crevices. No less important: the sheep happily chew whatever day it is, rain or shine. But the proliferation of grazing animals on solar farms is not unique to this Texas facility, but is part of a broader trend in the agrivoltaic industry sometimes called “solar grazing.” an opportunity. To JR Howard, solar grazing has changed his life. His sheep farming business has been industrialized and he now has 8,000 animals and 27 employees. An image that is repeated in 27 states in the United States, according to the American Solar Grazing Association, which reports 60 new agrivoltaic projects with grazing by small herbivores. The solar industry is a golden opportunity for sheep herders, who have seen the wool and breeding business in general decline. Agrivoltaics makes it possible to take advantage of sunny land both to generate electricity and to maintain livestock, herds of goats and sheep or grow food. Image | AgriSolar Clearinghouse In Xataka | Minnesota installed solar panels on two huge crops. Five years later, they are a paradise for bees

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