Barcelona has seen a Vodafone network boost ahead of the Pope's visit, with the company reinforcing nearly 1,000 5G and 4G cells across the city and giving the Mossos d'Esquadra a private 5G network.
Vodafone said the upgrade was put in place for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a company statement released on Monday. The private network is designed to give the police a fully configurable, on-demand system to support security arrangements and coordination.
The company said the setup helps ensure capacity and access to services in areas with high user numbers and possible congestion. José Miguel García, Vodafone's chief executive, said the firm is making its latest network innovations available to security forces to support reliable, real-time critical communications.
Vodafone also said it has set up monitoring, support and repair arrangements for any incidents affecting its network during the visit. It has optimised coverage for voice and data across the period of Pope Leo XIV's stay.
More than 100 network technicians have been mobilised in Barcelona, with mobile network units also deployed in Madrid, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which are other stops on the papal itinerary.
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