Communications

During the years of General Franco's dictatorship, the press was subjected to severe censorship. Spanish newspaper journalists tended to disguise whatever was real news. All that started to change with the arrival of democracy, and more importantly, the launching of a new national paper, El Pais, in 1976. When it first appeared, El Pais came as a refreshing alternative to the leading daily of the time.

Readership of newspapers in Spain has traditionally been among the lowest in Europe. This was not because Spaniards were uninterested in news, but because Spanish newspapers have generally been boring and expensive. Another reason being that a large number of older Spaniards, those who are most likely to ponder over a paper, are unable to read (or write). This is a legacy of Franco's Spain when literacy was considered less important than being able to work and support the family. Most Spaniards still see radio and television as a more reliable and entertaining source of information.

Though renowned for slow, or non delivery of mail, and its 'couldn't care less attitude', the Correos (Postal System), has considerably improved over recent years, although it still has a long way to go. Post offices (Oficinas de Correos) are generally found near the centre of towns and are normally open from 8am to noon and again from 5 to 7.30pm, though big branches in large cities may have considerably longer hours and usually do not close at midday. In smaller towns you may find they are only open from 8am to 2pm. Mail deliveries can be very haphazard with often no deliveries in country areas or within a set number of metres from a main road - often decided by the postman or postwoman. You can rent a postbox (apartado) at most Post Offices, or alternatively you can wade through piles of post that are unlikely, or cannot be delivered by the postal staff.

Telefonica provide two versions of their DOMO handsets, the manuals for these are only available in Spanish. However English translations have been made of the Telefonica manuals and they are available Here.

The telephone system in Spain is dominated by the formerly state-owned Telefonica. The international access code for Spain is +34. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Public telephones are either coin or card (tarjetas telefonicas) operated. Telephone cards can be purchased in post offices, newsagents and kiosks or tobacco stores (estancos) that have the sign Tabacos outside.

If you are considering moving to Spain, the opening up of the telephone market means there is a choice of companies you can direct your calls through (often much cheaper than Telefonica), but you may still have to rent the telephone line from Telefonica. If you move into the countryside, the chance of renting a 'landline' telephone line reduces dramatically. Be prepared to use your mobile phone, but don't expect a signal in some of the more remote areas. Spain is a big country with a lot of 'empty' spaces. There are a few companies offering a telephone service via satelite and this often comes with Internet as well.

The Internet is generally available in towns, cities and the coastal regions in Spain, but the further you go into the countryside, the less chance of a connection, or the signal along the telephone lines becomes too weak. There are a number of companies offering a satellite Internet connection, and although gaining in popularity (often because there is no alternative), it does remain a rather expensive option. A more recent alternative in some areas is a radio/wireless system which is beamed from various high vantage points in some areas, the predominant company offering this being Iberbanda, This system only works if you have direct sight between your house and the broadcasting mast. This system offers telephone and Internet and is not over expensive.

If you are on holiday in Spain, you will find that most towns, cities and resort areas have Internet Cafes where you can check your e-mails and use the Internet, generally for a reasonable charge. A more recent developement is the WiFi Internet points available around kiosks, cafes, etc.