The government delegate in Galicia, José Miñones, has stressed that the “firm commitment to the connectivity of the Government of Pedro Sánchez will allow the extension of the optical fiber so that before 2025 all the Galician rural has a connection to the high-speed internet network”. The delegate went to the Grove where he supervised the installation of the optical fiber in Puerto Meloxo within the UNICO-Broadband Program of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Accompanied by the deputy delegate of the Government in Pontevedra, Maica Larriba, the mayor, José Antonio Cacabelos, and the president of the Provincial Council, Carmela Silva, the delegate detailed that “thanks to this program more than 1,000 homes and companies in the municipality of O Grove will have access to very high performance optical fiber before the end of next year.”
Historical investments
José Miñones pointed out that the government of Pedro Sánchez multiplied by seven the investment of the two previous legislatures. Compared to the 100 million that were allocated to the digitization of the Spanish territory in eight years, and of which only 20 million were executed, the current Government allocated 700 million in two years thanks to the UNICO Program and its different lines of action. “There are tangible differences and a clear commitment of this executive to bring the optical fiber to all the municipalities of Galicia, which manifests itself with the increase of the games,” explained the delegate.
Finally, he stressed that the UNICA program “says what the Xunta says is one more example of the Government’s Recovery Plan reaching the houses and reaching with great force to the neighborhood of the entire Galician territory, becoming an unprecedented opportunity also in terms of digitalization.”
Thus, José Miñones recalled that the first two calls for the UNICO-Broadband line (2021 and 2022) will allow the high-speed internet connection to 226,725 homes and companies in Galicia with a global investment of 107,136,930 euros, of which the Government contributes 71,262,165 euros. In Pontevedra, the connection of 40,289 households and companies in the province will be guaranteed with a global investment of 16,166,245 euros, of which the Government contributes 11,116,777.
UNICO-Rural Demand
José Miñones advanced in the Grove that the Ministry also works so that homes that do not yet have fiber have an alternative connection with an accessible rate from the spring, with the so-called UNICO-Rural Demand program. In these cases, the Government will make it possible to connect via satellite or 5G technology and will economically facilitate access and service. “We believe that it is a great opportunity and an important advance, which highlights the commitment to connectivity and to the rural environment of this Government,” he said.
Transfers to Xunta
Finally, the delegate pointed out that there are three lines of the UNICO program executed by the Xunta de Galicia with funds transferred by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and amounting to 10.5 million euros, of which 7.8 were already transferred between 2021 and 2022.
The most important of them is the UNICO-Companies that allows to provide the internet to industrial estates and logistics areas of Galicia. In this case, the Government of Spain finances with 4.8 million euros the connections that the Xunta is executing. “In this program we financed the connection of 77 polygons and logistic areas of Galicia until this year,” the delegate detailed.
In addition to the industrial areas, the Government also finances two more programs in Galicia: UNICO-Bono Social and the UNICO-Buildings. José Miñones explained that ONLY-Bono Social aims to finance the hiring or improvement of fixed broadband connection for people or families identified as vulnerable. In this line, the Government allocates 1.4 million euros to Galicia, of which 1.1 were already delivered to the Autonomous Government.
Finally, UNICO-Buildings seeks to improve telecommunications facilities in buildings built before the year 2000. For this line, the Government allocates to Galicia 4.2 million euros of which 3.8 were already transferred to the Xunta between 2021 and 2022.