Antigua Halts Antenna Installation with Spanish Government Mediation
Government and Council Reach Agreement with Totem to Relocate Antenna Without Affecting Residents
The national government and the Antigua City Council have reached an agreement with telecommunications company Totem to move a planned telecom antenna to a new site that will not disturb local residents.
After a wave of neighborhood protests, the council succeeded in stopping the installation of the antenna at its original location. The deal was sealed on Wednesday, 10 September, in Madrid, during a meeting between Mayor Matías Peña and Totem’s CEO Patrick Farges, with the mediation of Ministers Óscar López and Ángel Víctor Torres, as well as the Secretary of State for Telecommunications, Antonio Hernando.
The decision will halt the scheduled installation and launch a search for an alternative location that meets the council’s criteria, preserving mobile coverage for the town while eliminating any inconvenience for its citizens.
“We have achieved a common and justified goal: to relocate the antenna so that coverage is guaranteed without harming the population,” Mayor Matías Peña said, thanking the community for its involvement and the central government for its collaboration.
With this agreement, the council declares that a long‑standing neighborhood conflict is closed and a consensual solution is now open to improve communications without compromising quality of life in Antigua.
The Ministry Explains Its Position
Ministers Óscar López (Digital Transformation and Public Function) and Ángel Víctor Torres (Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory), together with Secretary of State Antonio Hernando, met in Madrid with Mayor Peña and Totem CEO Patrick Farges to mediate the selection of a new site for the municipality’s telecom antennas. The new location will restore mobile coverage for the town’s more than 14,800 inhabitants.
The original site became unavailable weeks ago after the lease contract was terminated by the property owner, leaving Antigua without mobile service—the only infrastructure of its kind in the locality.
After evaluating several alternative sites that would maintain the service level of the original location, both parties agreed to pause the deployment at the original site and to study other locations that would not cause inconvenience to residents.
“We will always contribute to finding the solutions necessary for citizens and businesses to access the benefits of the digital society, wherever they live,” said Minister Óscar López, adding that the Spanish government has invested around €100 million since 2018 in various calls to improve connectivity across the Canary Islands, benefiting institutions, companies, and the well‑being of the population.
Minister Torres also praised the agreement:
“We have responded to the request made by the mayor of Antigua, and we are pleased to have found a common position that benefits everyone. The antenna will be placed in the most suitable spot for both the community and the operator, and that is great news.”
He emphasized that dialogue remains a hallmark of the current government.