ONO
ONO was a Spanish broadband, cable television, fixed-line, mobile and telecommunications company acquired by Vodafone Spain and subsequently retired as a standalone brand.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
ONO was a Spanish communications and entertainment company that operated a large cable network and sold integrated telephone, television and Internet services to residential and business customers. Although the brand was incorporated in 1998, its origins lay in Cableuropa, a company founded in 1992 that competed for regional cable and telecommunications licences after Spain liberalised the cable sector through General Telecommunications by Cable Act 42/95. Between 1996 and 1998, the business secured licences covering a number of Spanish regions, including Valencia, Castellón de la Plana, Alicante, Murcia, Cádiz, Huelva, Cantabria, Mallorca and Albacete. In late 1998 and early 1999, Callahan Associates International obtained a financial interest in ONO and entered into an operational management arrangement. ONO then built a hybrid fibre-coaxial network and used its infrastructure to provide broadband Internet, fixed telephony and multichannel television. In areas outside its own network, it also used unbundled local loop technology for some telephone and Internet services. The company expanded through additional licences and acquisitions. It received authorisation to operate in Castile-La Mancha in 2003 and acquired Retecal, the cable operator serving Castile and León, in 2004. The transaction broadened ONO’s regional footprint and included financial support intended to help Retecal continue operating. In 2005, ONO acquired Auna Tlc, the telecommunications unit of Grupo Auna, in a transaction that extended its presence to Aragón, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, La Rioja, Madrid and Navarra. The integration made ONO one of Spain’s largest alternative broadband and entertainment operators, competing with the incumbent Telefónica and other fixed-line, broadband and pay-television providers. ONO’s consumer proposition developed around bundled services. Its portfolio included fixed telephone lines, high-speed Internet, digital and pay television, video on demand through OJO, and digital recording through TiVo. The business also pursued convergence between fixed and mobile communications. In 2006, it agreed to use Telefónica’s mobile network and became a mobile virtual network operator. At the end of 2007 it introduced ONO io, a fixed-mobile service intended to combine home and mobile connectivity. The company later promoted higher-speed broadband using DOCSIS 3.0 technology, including a 50 Mbit/s service in selected areas and plans for 100 Mbit/s access. ONO also served business customers across Spain. Its enterprise portfolio included voice and VoIP, broadband connectivity, managed security, hosting, online backup, application and e-learning services. Network investment allowed the company to cover millions of homes and businesses, and by the late 2000s it reported substantial direct-access customer numbers and a large installed network footprint. On 17 March 2014, ONO announced that Vodafone Spain would acquire it for €7.2 billion, subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition brought ONO’s cable infrastructure and customer base into Vodafone’s Spanish operations. Vodafone subsequently retired the ONO name on 8 April 2019, ending the brand’s independent commercial existence. ONO is therefore a defunct Spanish telecommunications brand rather than a German food brand.
History
ONO emerged from Spain’s early cable-telecommunications liberalisation. Its predecessor Cableuropa was established in 1992, and the company participated in regional licence competitions following the adoption of Spain’s General Telecommunications by Cable Act 42/95. Licences were awarded between 1996 and 1998 for operations in several regions, including Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, Cantabria, Mallorca and Albacete. ONO itself was incorporated in 1998. Around the turn of the century, Callahan Associates International took a financial interest and became involved in operational management. The company’s initial strategy was to construct a next-generation hybrid fibre-coaxial network and sell a three-part residential bundle: telephone, television and Internet. Its own network was supplemented by unbundled local loop access where cable infrastructure was unavailable. By the end of 2002, the network was available to a significant proportion of homes passed in its licensed areas. ONO expanded into Castile-La Mancha in 2003 and purchased Retecal in 2004, adding Castile and León to its footprint. The Retecal transaction also involved a reported cash investment to support the acquired operator’s continuing operations. ONO’s largest expansion came through its 2005 acquisition of Auna Tlc, the telecommunications unit of Grupo Auna. The transaction, agreed in August and completed in November, extended ONO’s coverage across much of Spain, including Madrid, Catalonia, Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja, the Canary Islands and additional Andalusian territory. Integration of the two businesses created a major cable-based competitor to Telefónica. The enlarged company was backed by a group of investment firms and financial institutions. After the Auna acquisition, ONO broadened its service portfolio. It added digital terrestrial television channels, video on demand under the OJO name and TiVo digital video recording. In 2006 it entered mobile through a mobile virtual network operator arrangement using Telefónica’s network. ONO io, introduced in 2007, sought to combine fixed and mobile telephony into a single convergent proposition. The company also developed its business-services division, selling voice, broadband, managed security, hosting, backup and related information-technology services. Network development remained central to ONO’s strategy. The operator used DOCSIS 3.0 to introduce higher-speed broadband, including a 50 Mbit/s service in selected parts of Madrid in 2009, while discussing eventual 100 Mbit/s access. Contemporary company information described a network reaching millions of homes and businesses and a substantial base of direct-access customers. The company also implemented a redundancy programme affecting approximately 1,000 employees in 2006, reflecting the operational and integration pressures associated with its expansion. In 2014, Vodafone Spain agreed to acquire ONO for €7.2 billion, subject to regulatory approval. The combination gave Vodafone a fixed-line and cable presence to complement its mobile business. Following the acquisition, ONO ceased to operate as an independent strategic brand. Vodafone ultimately retired the ONO branding on 8 April 2019, leaving ONO as a historical Spanish telecommunications company and network business.
- 2019
ONO brand retired
[1]Vodafone retired the ONO brand, ending its independent commercial identity.
- 2014
Vodafone agrees to acquire ONO
[1]Vodafone Spain announced an agreement to acquire ONO for €7.2 billion, subject to approval.
- 2009
DOCSIS 3.0 broadband rollout
[1]ONO rolled out 50 Mbit/s broadband using DOCSIS 3.0 technology in selected areas, initially including parts of Madrid.
- 2007
ONO io launches
[1]The company launched ONO io, a fixed-mobile convergent communications service.
- 2006
Mobile virtual network entry
[1]ONO agreed to use Telefónica’s mobile network and entered the mobile market as an MVNO.
- 2005
Auna telecommunications acquisition
[1]ONO completed the acquisition of Auna Tlc, significantly extending its national cable and telecommunications footprint.
- 2004
Retecal acquisition
[1]ONO acquired Retecal, a cable operator serving Castile and León.
- 2003
Expansion into Castile-La Mancha
[1]ONO received a licence to operate in Castile-La Mancha.
- 1998
ONO is incorporated
[1]ONO was incorporated and began developing its Spanish cable communications business.
- 1996
Regional cable licences begin
[1]The business began receiving regional licences to provide cable television and telecommunications services under Spain’s liberalised cable framework.
Products and positioning
A Spanish alternative telecommunications operator positioned around bundled broadband, fixed telephony and television delivered through its own cable network, later extended with mobile connectivity and enterprise communications.
Fixed broadband · 1998
ONO Broadband Internet
Broadband Internet delivered primarily over ONO’s hybrid fibre-coaxial cable network. The company offered multiple speed tiers and later used DOCSIS 3.0 technology to support faster access, including a 50 Mbit/s service in selected regions and plans for 100 Mbit/s connectivity.
Pay television · 1998
ONO Television
A multichannel television service distributed through ONO’s cable network. It formed part of the company’s integrated residential offering and was later supplemented by digital terrestrial channels and interactive video services.
Fixed telephony · 1998
ONO Fixed Telephone
Fixed-line telephone service sold to residential and business customers, commonly bundled with broadband and television. Business products included basic lines, exchanges, terminals, advanced calling functions and VoIP options.
Video on demand
OJO
ONO’s video-on-demand service, providing customers with on-demand audiovisual content through the company’s television platform.
Digital video recording
TiVo
An advanced digital video recorder service offered through ONO’s television proposition, allowing customers to record and manage television programming.
Fixed-mobile convergence · 2007
ONO io
A convergent fixed-mobile telephone service launched in the late 2000s. It was intended to provide a single experience across home fixed connectivity and mobile use outside the home, supported by ONO’s fixed network and its mobile virtual operator arrangement.
Enterprise telecommunications
ONO Business Services
A portfolio for business customers covering voice, broadband, VoIP, managed security, hosting, online backup, application tools and e-learning-related services. These offerings complemented ONO’s consumer communications business and used its national network reach.
Brand decisions
2014
Sell ONO to Vodafone SpainM&ABackground
ONO’s fixed cable network and broadband customer base were strategically complementary to Vodafone Spain’s mobile operations.
Action taken
ONO announced its acquisition by Vodafone Spain, subject to regulatory approval.
Aftermath
ONO was absorbed into Vodafone’s Spanish business and its brand was retired in 2019.
Acquisition price. €7.2 billion (2014)
2008
Plan higher-speed DOCSIS 3.0 broadbandGeneration changeBackground
Increasing broadband competition encouraged ONO to upgrade its cable network and raise available access speeds.
Action taken
ONO announced plans to offer 100 Mbit/s broadband using DOCSIS 3.0 technology and continued network investment.
Aftermath
A 50 Mbit/s DOCSIS 3.0 service was subsequently rolled out in selected areas, including parts of Madrid.
2006
Enter mobile as an MVNOStrategyBackground
ONO wanted to extend its fixed broadband, telephone and television bundle into mobile communications.
Action taken
The company signed an agreement to use Telefónica’s mobile network and began operating as a mobile virtual network operator.
Aftermath
ONO became a provider of convergent fixed, mobile, Internet and television services.
2005
Acquire Auna TlcM&ABackground
ONO pursued the telecommunications unit of Grupo Auna to consolidate its position as a nationwide alternative to Telefónica.
Action taken
ONO agreed to acquire and later completed the purchase of Auna Tlc, integrating its cable and telecommunications operations.
Aftermath
The deal substantially expanded ONO’s geographic reach and customer base and made it one of Spain’s leading broadband and entertainment operators.
Acquisition price. €2.2 billion (2005)
2004
Acquire RetecalM&ABackground
ONO sought to expand its cable footprint into Castile and León through the acquisition of Retecal, a regional operator facing financial difficulties.
Action taken
ONO acquired Retecal and provided reported financial support to help maintain the acquired company’s operations.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened ONO’s regional presence and contributed to its subsequent national expansion.
Sources1 sources
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