Phone Networks In Spain

If you are moving to Spain, this article will describe the different phone services in the country. Land lines or fixed lines will be discussed, followed by mobiles which will then be followed by a section discussing how to call Spain from elsewhere.

Landlines/Fixed lines in Spain

As with electricity, Spain has a national telephone company that is responsible for providing the consumer with a landline. This company, Telfonica, has a customer service office (Oficina de Atencin al usuario), as well as a comercial office (oficina commercial), in each province. To connect or reconnect a landline, Telfonica requests that you have the following documentation proof of address, a passport or residence permit, a recent electricity bill, along with some form of identification. If there is already a phone line installed in the residence, then it will only cost about 59 euros. Get an estimate first, as how far you are from the junction can affect the price. The average cost per month is about 15.68 euros. You are charged by the amount of calls made.

Mobile Services in Spain

Spanish mobile service is considerably different from North American mobile or cell phone providers. If you use an ATNT or T-Mobile cell phone, you may be able to use your own carrier by roaming while you are in Spain. Mobiles can also be rented through companies such as CellHire. Cellhire can predeliver a cell phone with instructions, a battery, charger, and adapters for foreign outlets. The service costs vary according to the location of the call, and there is a fixed tax of $1.07 per call. Of course, incoming calls are free regardless of where the call comes from. Simply return the phone after your trip with their return pack.

A cheap alternative to these expensive options is to buy a prepaid Simcard. This chip functions similar to the calling cards in the U.S. They normally come with an initial amount of credit. The chip is inserted into your phone, and you then have access to features such as your address book, text messaging, and the ability to make and receive calls. Each sim card has a certain amount of time with the amount of credit that varies depending on where you call. These Sim cards are available in different units similar to a U.S. calling card.

Calling Spain from Elsewhere

If you need to call Spain from abroad, dial 011 followed by 34, the Spanish country code. Then dial the Spanish phone number.