Retevisión

Retevisión was a Spanish telecommunications company established in 1989 as a public enterprise within Spain's national public broadcaster, Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE). Its original role was not retail telecommunications but the operation of transmission infrastructure used to distribute television and radio signals across Spain. This position made it an important part of the country's broadcasting system before the liberalization of the Spanish telecommunications market. The company's strategic direction changed during the 1990s. In 1996, the government of José María Aznar pursued liberalization of the telecommunications sector and granted Retevisión a license to compete in telecommunications. The company subsequently became Spain's second fixed-line telecommunications operator, challenging the established position of Telefónica. In 1997, its headquarters were moved from Madrid to Barcelona, and ownership passed to a consortium involving Telecom Italia and Spanish electricity utilities Endesa and Unión Fenosa. Retevisión initially lacked its own nationwide fixed-line network. Customers using Telefónica's network had to enter a carrier-selection prefix to route calls through Retevisión. The original prefix, 050, was later replaced by 1050. At first, the company's customers were restricted largely to calls between provinces. The liberalization of the local loop in September 1998 enabled Retevisión to offer local calls as well, broadening its competitive position in the fixed-voice market. The company also expanded into internet access and business communications. In 1998, it acquired the Spanish internet-service providers Servicom and RedesTB and created the iddeo internet brand. iddeo later introduced ADSL services for business customers in 2000. Retevisión also developed enterprise IP data services, including virtual private networking, and offered voice and data connections by radio link, although the latter activity did not achieve comparable success. Retevisión entered mobile telecommunications after receiving Spain's third mobile-phone license in June 1998, following Telefónica's Movistar and Airtel Móviles. Operations began in 1999 through Retevisión Móvil under the Amena brand. This mobile business became one of the company's most significant successor assets. In 2002, however, the Retevisión name was abandoned for telephone operations when Retevisión and the cable operator AunaCable were brought together under the Auna name within Grupo Auna. The company's former businesses subsequently followed different paths. In 2003, Grupo Auna sold Retevisión's remaining audiovisual transmission-related portfolio to Abertis. The cable television, fixed-line and internet operations of Auna were later absorbed by ONO in 2005. France Télécom acquired Amena's mobile operations in 2006, and those activities became the foundation of Orange España on 1 August 2006. Abertis's audiovisual infrastructure business was eventually separated into Cellnex Telecom in 2015. Consequently, the original Retevisión brand disappeared as an operating telecom brand, while portions of its infrastructure and business legacy continued through Cellnex and other successor companies.

Retevisión began in 1989 as a public company operating within Radiotelevisión Española, Spain's national public broadcaster. Its initial purpose was to provide the transmission facilities needed to distribute radio and television signals throughout the country. In this first phase, Retevisión was primarily a communications-infrastructure organization rather than a consumer telecom brand. Spain's telecommunications liberalization in the 1990s created the conditions for a major change. In 1996, the government granted Retevisión a license to enter telecommunications, allowing it to challenge Telefónica in the fixed-line market. The company became Spain's second telecom operator. Because it did not initially possess its own complete landline network, calls placed by Retevisión customers over Telefónica infrastructure required a carrier-selection prefix: 050, later changed to 1050. Service initially focused on interprovincial calls. Local calling became possible after local-loop liberalization in September 1998. In 1997, Retevisión moved its headquarters from Madrid to Barcelona. During the same year, it was acquired by a consortium formed by Telecom Italia and the Spanish electricity companies Endesa and Unión Fenosa. This ownership structure supported Retevisión's development as a diversified communications group, although the company's activities continued to depend on regulatory access and infrastructure arrangements while the Spanish market was being opened. Retevisión broadened its activities in 1998 by acquiring Servicom and RedesTB, two early Spanish internet-service providers. These assets were used to establish iddeo, the company's internet brand. iddeo later added ADSL services for business users in the summer of 2000. Retevisión also introduced enterprise IP data services, including virtual private networking, and experimented with voice and data services delivered by radio link. The radio-link offering was less successful than the company's other activities. The company entered mobile communications after receiving Spain's third mobile-phone license in June 1998. Through its subsidiary Retevisión Móvil, it began operating in 1999 under the Amena name. The mobile business placed Retevisión in direct competition with the established Movistar and Airtel Móviles networks and became a major part of the company's later corporate succession. In the Basque Country, Euskaltel retained distribution exclusivity from its 1995 launch, limiting Retevisión's role there in fixed telephony and radio-and-television signal transmission. The Retevisión name did not remain the long-term consumer brand for the expanded telecom group. In 2002, Retevisión's telephone operations were combined with those of the cable operator AunaCable under the Auna name within Grupo Auna. This change effectively ended Retevisión's identity as a national retail telecom brand. In 2003, Grupo Auna sold the remaining audiovisual-related Retevisión portfolio to Abertis. The Auna cable television, fixed-line and internet businesses were later absorbed by ONO in 2005, while France Télécom acquired Amena in 2006 and relaunched the mobile business as Orange España. The infrastructure legacy continued after the brand's disappearance. Abertis subsequently separated its relevant telecommunications-infrastructure business into Cellnex Telecom in 2015. Retevisión therefore survives mainly through successor assets and corporate lineages rather than as an independent operating company.

• 2015

  Infrastructure successor becomes Cellnex Telecom

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Abertis spins off the relevant telecom infrastructure business into Cellnex Telecom.

• 2003

  Audiovisual portfolio sold to Abertis

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Abertis acquires Retevisión's remaining audiovisual-related business from Grupo Auna.

• 2002

  Retevisión is replaced by Auna in telephone operations

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  The Retevisión telephone brand is retired after the combination with AunaCable within Grupo Auna.

• 1999

  Amena begins mobile operations

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Retevisión Móvil starts mobile service under the Amena brand.

• 1998

  Internet and mobile expansion

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Retevisión acquires Servicom and RedesTB, launches iddeo, and receives Spain's third mobile license.

• 1997

  Headquarters move and privatization-era acquisition

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  The headquarters move from Madrid to Barcelona coincides with acquisition by Telecom Italia, Endesa and Unión Fenosa.

• 1996

  Entry into competitive telecommunications

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Spain's telecommunications liberalization program grants Retevisión a license to compete in the telecom market.

• 1989

  Retevisión is established as a public broadcasting-transmission company

  [1]Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org

  Retevisión is founded as a division of Radiotelevisión Española to provide nationwide transmission facilities for radio and television signals.

A former Spanish communications challenger that combined national broadcast-transmission infrastructure with fixed-line, internet, enterprise-data and mobile services during the liberalization of the telecommunications market.

• Telecommunications infrastructure · 1989

  Broadcast transmission infrastructure

  Retevisión's original core activity was the provision and operation of transmission facilities for television and radio signals across Spain. This infrastructure role preceded its entry into retail telecommunications and remained part of the business lineage later associated with Abertis and Cellnex Telecom.

• Fixed-line telecommunications · 1996

  Retevisión fixed-line telephony

  After receiving a telecom license during market liberalization, Retevisión offered fixed-line voice services in competition with Telefónica. Customers initially used carrier-selection prefixes to route calls over the service, and local calling became available after local-loop liberalization in 1998.

• Internet access · 1998

  iddeo

  iddeo was Retevisión's internet-service brand, created after the acquisition of Servicom and RedesTB in 1998. It provided internet access and later expanded into business ADSL services, launched in 2000.

• Mobile telecommunications · 1999

  Amena

  Amena was the consumer mobile brand operated by Retevisión Móvil after Retevisión received Spain's third mobile license. It began operations in 1999 and competed with Movistar and Airtel Móviles. France Télécom acquired the business in 2006, after which it became Orange España.

• Business communications · 1999

  Enterprise IP data services

  Retevisión developed data services over IP for enterprise customers, including virtual private networking between business sites. It also offered direct voice and data connections by radio link, although the radio-link services were described as having limited success.

• 2003

  Sell the remaining audiovisual portfolio to AbertisM&A

  Background

  Following the creation of Auna, the group's remaining Retevisión audiovisual-transmission assets represented a separable infrastructure business.

  Action taken

  Grupo Auna sold the remaining audiovisual-related portfolio to Abertis.

  Aftermath

  The infrastructure lineage later continued through Abertis and was spun off into Cellnex Telecom in 2015.

  Source

• 2002

  Consolidate Retevisión and AunaCable under AunaM&A

  Background

  The group sought to combine fixed-line, cable and related communications activities under a broader corporate and consumer identity.

  Action taken

  Retevisión and AunaCable were combined within Grupo Auna, and the Retevisión telephone brand was replaced by Auna.

  Aftermath

  The Retevisión name ceased to be the principal retail telecom brand, while its former activities were divided among later successor companies.

  Source

• 1998

  Acquire Servicom and RedesTBM&A

  Background

  Retevisión sought to broaden its business beyond voice services and transmission infrastructure as internet access developed in Spain.

  Action taken

  The company acquired the internet-service providers Servicom and RedesTB and used them to establish the iddeo brand.

  Aftermath

  iddeo became Retevisión's internet platform and later added business ADSL services.

  Source

• 1998

  Enter mobile telecommunications through Retevisión MóvilProduct launch

  Background

  The award of Spain's third mobile license enabled Retevisión to compete in a rapidly expanding mobile market.

  Action taken

  Retevisión established the subsidiary Retevisión Móvil and launched mobile operations under the Amena brand in 1999.

  Aftermath

  Amena became a major successor business and was acquired by France Télécom in 2006 before becoming Orange España.

  • Movistar — Movistar was an incumbent mobile competitor; no specific reaction is identified in the reference material.
  • Airtel Móviles — Airtel Móviles was an existing mobile competitor; no specific reaction is identified in the reference material.

  Source

• 1996

  Enter Spain's competitive telecommunications marketStrategy

  Background

  Retevisión had originally been focused on radio and television transmission infrastructure. Spanish telecommunications liberalization created an opportunity to challenge Telefónica in fixed-line services.

  Action taken

  The company obtained a telecommunications license and began developing fixed-line services, initially using carrier selection over existing infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  Retevisión became Spain's second fixed-line telecom operator and later expanded into internet, enterprise data and mobile services.

  • Telefónica — Retevisión entered the market as a competitor to Telefónica; no specific public reaction is identified in the reference material.

  Source

1. 1Retevisiónen.wikipedia.org