Checking fibre at your address and getting building consent

Key rules

• Coverage maps: A map showing fibre in your street does not mean your flat can be connected.
• Exact address: Ask the operator to confirm your exact floor and door before you sign.
• Tenants: Get your landlord's written OK for any new cabling or drilling; using existing sockets needs no consent.
• Community: The community of owners cannot unreasonably block fibre, and no unanimous vote is needed.

Check coverage first, then get permission

Check your exact address before you sign a contract or order anything. Then make sure the landlord and the building will allow the work. A coverage map showing fibre does not guarantee you can get it in your flat.

How to check coverage

Start with the official coverage viewer run by the Ministry for Digital Transformation. Enter your address and it shows which technologies and speeds each operator offers there. Then try the address checkers on the websites of the main operators: Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, MasOrange/Yoigo and Digi. Comparison sites can also help. The tools are listed in the resource block below.

The data is declared by the operators, and it is often only accurate to street or building entrance. It can show fibre in the street when your building has no wiring. Before you sign, ask the operator to confirm your exact floor and door.

Why a checker can say yes and the install still fails

A checker shows that fibre reaches the street or the building entrance. It does not show that your flat can be connected. Common reasons for failure:

• The building has no fibre wiring or ducts, or the old telecom wiring is outdated.
• The community of owners refuses or delays access.
• The operator's local distribution point is full.
• The ducts are blocked or private.
• A technician visits and finds no route to your flat.

If this happens, ask the operator for the technical reason in writing. Ask the community administrator to authorise the work. Try another operator that uses a different network. Fixed wireless or 5G internet can be a fallback.

Landlord consent if you rent

You normally need your landlord's consent for work that changes the flat, such as drilling through walls. If the installer uses existing ducts and sockets, you need no consent. For any new cabling, get the landlord's written OK before the technician comes. Work in common areas, such as stairwells, risers and the roof, needs the community's permission, not just the landlord's.

The community of owners

In a building with a community of owners, the community cannot unreasonably block an operator. Any resident or owner can ask for a service, and operators can ask the community for access. If the building already has shared telecom infrastructure, operators use it. If not, the community must allow reasonable installation.

A unanimous vote is not needed. Usually the community president or administrator is told and authorises the work. Where common elements are used, the usual rule is a simple majority of owners, or just the president's or administrator's authorisation. The operator may send the community a letter requesting access. Answers normally come within weeks. Ask the administrator which approval your building needs, as it depends on the case.

If the community stalls without good reason, the Ministry's telecoms department can mediate disputes.

Do it in this order

1. Check your address in the official viewer and on two or three operator checkers.
2. If you rent, ask your landlord for written consent to any new cabling.
3. Contact the community administrator if the building needs access or authorisation.
4. Order only when the operator confirms the install can go ahead.

The questions below cover the most common cases.

Fibre coverage checkers and speed-test tools

• Ministry for Digital Transformation, official broadband coverage viewer: Enter your address to see which technologies and speeds each operator offers there. The data is declared by the operators, often for the whole street or portal, so it may show fibre in the street even if your building has no wiring.

• Operator address checkers (Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, MasOrange/Yoigo, Digi): Check your address on each operator's own site, then ask the operator to confirm your exact floor and door. A checker shows that fibre passes the street or portal, not that your flat can be connected.

• Comparison websites such as Rastreator or Comparador: Use them to see several operators' coverage and prices in one search. They rely on the same operator data, so the same limits apply.

• Government speed test (medidor de velocidad), run by the Secretaría de Estado de Telecomunicaciones: Run it from a computer connected by Ethernet cable to the router, with other devices and downloads off. Test at different times of day over several days, and save screenshots or the certified result with date and time. It is accepted as evidence in complaints, so compare the results with the minimum speed in your contract.

Frequently asked questions

Why can a checker show fibre at my address but the operator still cannot install it?

A checker shows that fibre reaches your street or building entrance, not that your flat can be connected. The building may have no fibre wiring or ducts, the operator's local distribution point may be full, or a technical visit may find no route to your flat.

Do I need my landlord's consent to install fibre in a rented flat?

Yes, you normally need your landlord's consent if the installation changes the flat, for example by drilling through walls.

Can the community of owners refuse to let an operator install fibre?

No, the community cannot unreasonably block it, because any resident or owner can request a service. Operators use the building's existing telecom infrastructure where there is one, and otherwise the community must allow reasonable installation. If the community stalls, the Ministry for Digital Transformation can mediate disputes.

What approval does the community need to give for a new operator?

You do not need a unanimous vote of the owners. The community president or administrator is usually notified and authorises the work, and the operator or an affected owner makes the request. Where common elements are used, a simple majority or the administrator's authorisation is typical, and replies normally come within weeks.