Best Mobile Network In Spain

If you are an expat living in Spain, having a local number will help you a lot in navigating life here. Not only is it easy to communicate with other people but also to navigate your way around the new country through the internet. Fortunately, as long as you have a valid ID with you, it is fairly easy to get a mobile and network connection.

Which Is The Best Mobile Network In Spain?

Some studies have suggested that Orange and Movistar are currently the best networks in the country for both internet and phone reception. This is true for availability, reliability and performance. Other well-performing networks include Vodafone, Yoigo and Lobster. 

Which Spanish Mobile Carrier Should You Choose?

Your choice of network will depend on a lot of factors that relate to your needs. This can factor in things like your location and your data needs. Geographical coverage will vary for each mobile network, so will the data plans and the prices offered. Some might have prepaid plans which offer good rates while others offer contracts better suited to your needs.

Best Mobile Network In Spain 1

Cell Phone Contract Or Prepaid SIM

If you are getting a new phone when you move to Spain, you will also need to consider if you should get a contract or a prepaid SIM. With a contract, you will need to pay a monthly bill but you might find better deals like cheaper rates or even a free or cheaper mobile phone thrown in. You will, however, need to have a NIE (foreigners’ identification number) to be able to sign a contract. With a prepaid SIM, you will need to load money onto your SIM card before making any calls or using data. Therefore, you can only consume what you have loaded onto your phone. If you are opting for a SIM, it is a much better option to get a local SIM card instead of using your foreign one to enjoy local rates that are much cheaper.

Usually, expats and international students opt for SIM cards since they are the quickest way to get a local number and data. Some prepaid plans like the one offered by Suop can be as cheap as 3.89 euros a month. But if you are looking to settle in the country or will be here for a longer time period, you should go for a phone contract which will get you better rates in the long run.

5 Features To Choose The Best Mobile Phone Contract For Your Needs

Reputation Of The Company

As a first concern, you can look at the reputation of the company and the number of years it has been in the industry. Think about the results it has given over the years and what people have to say about it. If a company has been in the industry for decades, for instance, it probably has a good reputation and quality of services (how else would it survive that long?).

English Customer Service

If you are an expat settling in Spain, the easiest way to navigate your new surroundings will be to do it in a familiar language. English customer support will make it easier to understand the system and the charges offered to you. It will also be easier to sort out any issues you experience with your service in the future. You should therefore go for a provider which has policies that favor customers.

Best Mobile Network In Spain 2

Amount And Quality Of Data Offered

If you are a regular user of data, this will be a huge factor in choosing your network. Most low cost plans offered in Spain include only about 5 to 10 GBs of data, and you can run through that very quickly if you are a regular user.

Moreover, 5G is available only in some major cities, so if speed is a concern, you will also need to consider this. Most parts of Spain will have LTE (4G) coverage.

Cost Structure

For most of us living on salaries, it is necessary to budget otherwise you can quickly go overboard with your expenses. So you should consider the amount you end up spending on your mobile bill. There might be hidden charges with some options, so take a look at the pricing structure in detail to know exactly how much you will spend.

Length Of Contract

If you want to get a cell phone via a service provider, it is easy to find affordable deals. But these usually come in a package with a long contract which could go up to two years! And such contracts will also come with conditions making it hard to opt out or penalizing you heavily for dropping it. The way you can recognize a good quality provider is that not only will they offer you high value phones, but they will also give you contracts that are not very restrictive in nature.

5 Best Spanish Mobile Phone Contract Providers 

Movistar

Movistar is the oldest of all networks discussed in this guide, and also has global presence, particularly in Europe and Central and South America. It was formerly a state owned monopoly in this industry. It has the highest market share, at a whopping 41%. Their rates are among the most competitive in the market which come with generous plans. And they have extensive coverage throughout the country, even the most remote locations. Furthermore, their download speeds, videos and gaming experience are among the best of all the network providers. It also has excellent 4G and 5G coverage in major cities, ahead of the other networks. 

Movistar still lags behind its competitors due to certain policies that are in line with typical monopolistic behavior. They do not offer a tourist SIM card and do not offer customer service in English either.

Orange

Orange is a popular choice among expats, and the second largest network overall. It is active across the globe in areas like Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean. They offer cheap rates on calling plans that may be as low as 3 cents per minute, and even offer unlimited talk time and data in some cases. Their service speed has continued to improve over recent years and they have excellent download speeds. 

They also offer customer support in English, which is a major reason that expats prefer this network. If you are in Spain just on vacation, you can also get an Orange tourist SIM card. On this card, you can get some minutes that can be used for making international calls. Unlimited data for the duration of your plan is also included in the package, which costs 15 euros for 5 days and 25 euros for 15 days. One downside is that you cannot use 5G services on the network if you are a prepaid customer.

Best Mobile Network In Spain 3

Vodafone

Vodafone is a UK based company which offers its services throughout Europe, so it is a great option for those who travel within the continent frequently. Their rates are reasonable, and roaming charges are good too. They offer customer support in English and are a popular choice among expats. Vodafone also offers 5G in 21 major cities, and is the best network if you want the fastest data speeds in Spain.

Vodafone does not have a lot of options for the plans you can opt for but the ones they do have are very affordable with ample data. Getting a SIM is also quick and easy.

Yoigo

Yoigo is smaller than the other networks on this list, and is active only in Spain. It has less extensive coverage and also slightly smaller data plans. But they do have free roaming on Movistar and Orange, which can theoretically mean more coverage than any other option. They offer really cheap rates-as low as 35 euros for 150 GBs of data! Their 4G coverage is also great in urban areas.

The process for getting a SIM card is relatively quick and straightforward. It is an attractive option if you want decent rates, overall good coverage and generous data packages.

Lobster

Lobster claims to be the ‘full English mobile network’ and specifically targets expats, which is why it has full customer support in English. It is designed by and for Spanish residents who speak English. Lobster mobile uses the Movistar network which means that it has among the best coverage levels in Spain. 

The company offers its customers three international plans: the small, medium and large ones. Each differs from the other due to the data offered; generally, unlimited calls and messages are included in all the packages. These calls and text messages can be made out to a number of countries within the EU region. The medium package is currently their most sold one. You can either renew your package each month, or choose a different one monthly depending on your needs. Apart from this, you can manage multiple SIM cards from one account, which makes it easier for families to manage many phones.

Are There Any Unlimited Data Plans For Spain?

Bigger, unlimited plans are usually available only for contract based phones. You will need to pay around 25 to 60 euros per month for one of these plans.

Where Is 5G In Spain?

5G services in Spain have been developing at a very fast pace in recent years. In 2019, Vodafone was the first to launch their 5G services in a few cities in the country. They were followed quickly by Movistar, Orange and Yoigo. Since 2020, commercial 5G service availability has therefore expanded to several cities. An interesting thing to note is that if you are a prepaid customer on the Movistar or Vodafone network you will be able to enjoy 5G services whereas Yoigo and Orange do not offer the same to their prepaid users.

Best Mobile Network In Spain 4

Conclusion

Despite its shortcomings, the best network in Spain based on the coverage, price structure and data packages offered is Movistar. Orange comes in a close second. Overall, you must be mindful of the fact that no single provider will have all that you need. You will need to compare the packages offered by various companies to see which one best suits your needs and will make life easier for you without being too heavy on the pocket.