Spain Backs Ending Telefonica's Universal Service Mandate

Spain's National Commission on Markets and Competition has backed a proposal to end Telefonica's designation as the operator responsible for fixed-line internet and telephone services under the country's universal telecommunications service framework.

The plan, drafted by the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, argues that both services are now widely available through existing market offerings. That makes a single designated provider unnecessary, according to the proposal.

The universal service itself would not be abolished. It remains a legally guaranteed right — the change only removes Telefonica's specific designation to provide it.

CNMC said affordability would stay protected through mandatory concessions for vulnerable consumers and the continuation of the social tariff for existing beneficiaries. Those safeguards would remain even if Telefonica loses the designation.

The regulator also called for a new universal service regulation to be approved before December 31, 2026. That deadline sets the timeline for the next stage of the overhaul.