So… we live in a lovely flat near Mercat del Born in Barcelona and have been trying for the last two months to get a phone and internet.  Problem is, while there are 100 blocks for lines on the top of our building, five are broken and the rest are taken.  This naturally, in a building with only 10 flats, although the techs who come out say that most of the blocks go off to neighboring buildings.  The sloppiness of this blows my mind…

Anyways, every contract we’ve tried to set up then gets cancelled as there are no available blocks for Telefonica to heat up and then an Ono or Vodafone to provide service over.  Anyone know any way around this?  Is there a legal right to a phone line in Spain like there is in the US?

On a separate but related note, apparently the Telefonica techs arrive some day this year to install fiber optic to the building, but our idiot, out of work neighbor refused to sign off for them to do it and so we’re stuck waiting for who knows how long now; probably never.  Anyone know of a line to call at Telefonica to tell them to please come out again and install it?

Obviously, as this is the second half of August, we’ve resigned ourselves to mooching the BCN public wifi until September, but any help or knowledge on this issue would be most appreciated.

Hi Miqhud…
Even if it were a ‘right’ in Spain.. that is no guarantee that it will happen :(

It may be worth contacting Citrus Red in Alicante/Valencia who are agents for British Telecom (Spain.)
I know if they get enough people to sign up (I think it is around 30), they can put pressure on Telefonica to put in new lines etc…
I know it is around 30, as we had the same on an Urbanization on Mijas Costa.  Telefonica will fob off an individual, but as the original line installers to Telefonica in the first place ... BT (es) have some sway.

Good luck. I know what it is like without a phone.

We were in the campo 2k, away from nearest fixed phone line and although Telefonica came and did a site survey, and the engineer said Telefonica could install us a satellite system (for same connection cost as hardwired), the business end of Telefonica refused to help us. Even though I denounced them to the phone operators ombudsman.

You may have a chance if you are more….

Otherwise, we got a phone/internet in end for ‘reasonable’ amount (Eu300 for equipment and setting up costs) and paid Eu60 pcm to a private wireless company.

It appears that you do have a right to a line (as well as broadband) but naturally, it has to be enforced via Telefonica.  Essentially they have 60 days to provide you with a line when you sign up as it is a universal right.  How this gets enforced remains to be seen of course.  Third party providers like Vodafone, Ono, Orange, and the rest of them are not bound to this.

http://www.usuariosteleco.es/Derechos/TelefoniaFija/Paginas/ListadoCategorias.aspx
http://w3.bcn.cat/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,1013013389_1322403583_1,00.html

yes you have right to line in spain .... that the law but if you getting is story ......  1. is there cable tv on the block , faster internet by far .... 2 .if get fiber optic also fast aswell , but is Telefonica ... beware of them ....

3. Telefonica techs arrive some day this year to install fiber optic to the building, but our idiot, out of work neighbor refused to sign off , why would he do that ...
up to the community of the block two sing for it ....

4. fiber optic hub be put in the coms room and will need power two be run , you still linked via a telphone line so you not be get full useage of it ...

On a different yet related note, clearly the Telefonica specialists arrive some time or another this year to introduce fiber optic to the building, however our nitwit, out of work neighbor declined to close down for them to do it as we’re stuck sitting tight for who knows to what extent now; likely never.